Wrigley Manufacturing Co LLC history

Company was founded in 1891 to sell soap and baking powder.

From baking powder and soap in Chicago in 1891, to gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, and lollipops around the world today, Wrigley has evolved and expanded with an eye to the future and a steady focus on the consumer.

His gum brands Lotta, Vassar and Sweet 16 were introduced in 1891; in the following years, Spearmint Pepsin and Juicy Fruit would debut in the marketplace.

In 1907, during the economic depression, Wrigley showed that he was prepared to take a risk, mortgaging everything he owned in order to launch a massive advertising campaign.

1910: International expansion begins in Canada.

A newspaper ad from 1920 for three types of Wrigley’s gum

In 1932, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a “mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders” — this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated, today.

The new campaign featured the adventures of Little Mouth, an animated wind-up, chattering mouth. Its 1964 advertising slogan, "The Great Taste That Is Good for Your Teeth," promoted the fact that the gum used saccharin instead of sugar.

Mars, Incorporated, becomes the single worldwide food sponsor of the 1992 Olympic Games.

In 1994, international sales outpaced that of domestic sales, accounting for over half of the company’s overall revenues for the first time in its history.

Indeed, according to Brandweek, Altoids "raised the bar for manufacturers … in the breath-freshener category." In 1996 Altoids saw its sales rise 27 percent to reach $23.2 million for the year, and it became the fourth-best-selling brand of mint in America, behind Breath Savers, Tic Tac, and Certs.

The Dentyne Ice brand, introduced in 1996, illustrated this focus, with its advertising most often featuring young couples kissing.

Similarly, the Minneapolis-based Dayton Hudson Corp. released a new line of its well-known Frango Mints in 1997.

Also in 1997, Velamints began making Intense Velamints, likewise packaged in small metal tins.

Jensen, Trevor. "Burnett's Altoids Work Extends Awards Streak at Chicago Addys." Adweek, May 25, 1998.

By 1998 the slogan had lost its appeal with consumers, especially teens, Juicy Fruit's key market. Based on the research the "Gotta Have Sweet" campaign was released in August 1998.

Overall, sales of power mints climbed 11.5 percent in the first three months of 1998 alone.

By 1998 the slogan had lost its appeal with consumers, especially teens, Juicy Fruit's key market.

The new campaign, themed "Gotta Have Twisted Sweet," was a variation on the brand's "Gotta Have Sweet" campaign, which had begun in 1998.

When William Wrigley, Jr., great-grandson of the company's founder, took over as chief executive officer in 1999 following the death of his father, the 35-year-old became the fourth generation of the family to head up Wrigley.

In 2001 he revamped the company's marketing department and began looking past BBDO Chicago, which had worked with Wrigley for more than 70 years, for new ideas for marketing Wrigley products.

Wrigley's sugar-free Orbit was introduced in the United States in 2001 as an aid to dental health.

The timing turned out to be perfect, for in 2002 Wrigley's top two United States competitors—Trident and Dentyne—were purchased by Cadbury Schweppes.

During 2003, the company was focused on six strategic goals: boosting its core business, expanding into new geographic and distribution areas, domestic diversification, product innovation, delivering high quality at a low cost, and developing a successful workforce.

The print portion of the campaign won numerous top honors on the 2003 ad-industry awards circuit.

The print component of the campaign was a star on the 2003 advertising-awards circuit, winning a Clio, an Andy, and a Gold EFFIE.

A print and outdoor campaign similar to classic Altoids posters used copy such as "Fruity Yet Strong" and "One Bad Motherpucker" in 2003.

In 2003 Cadbury completed a $4.2 billion deal with New York-based Pfizer, Inc., and purchased the pharmaceutical giant's Adams candy division.

In 2003 Wrigley added to its 100-year-old brand Juicy Fruit two new flavors, Grapermelon and Strappleberry, that each combined, or twisted together, two fruit flavors.

The company turned to its longtime agency, BBDO Chicago, for an advertising campaign that would support the 2003 launch of the product.

In 2003, for instance, the two television spots "Clowns" and "Equestrian" were used to introduce the new flavors Cinnamint and Bubblement.

"Dentyne Breaks Digital Ad Effort." Adweek, October 18, 2004.

In 2004 Cadbury announced plans to expand its Trident brand to include fruit flavors; these would directly compete with Wrigley's fruit-flavored Juicy Fruit.

In 2004, the gross United States sales of all Orbit products exceeded $90 million, beating competitor Trident by nearly $8 million.

In one such ad, as a young man attempted to kiss his attractive date, he imagined himself surrounded by every guy she had ever kissed, which made him feel insecure. For example, a 2004 digital campaign with the tagline "Go bold!" was aimed at 13- to 17-year-olds, with ads running on Yahoo!'s instant-messenger and Launch music platforms.

Barr, Aaron. "BBDO Casts Wrigley's Doublemint Twins." Adweek, March 9, 2005.

In June 2005, Wrigley added the Altoids®, Life Savers®, Creme Savers® and Sugus® brands to its expanding portfolio of confectionery products.

"Confectioner and Beverage Maker Cadbury Schweppes PLC Said It Plans to Sell Its European Beverages Business as It Focuses on More Profitable Lines, Including Operations in the United States." Food & Drink Weekly, September 12, 2005.

In 2005, in the hilarious "Fly Trap," in which a visitor to a botanical garden was swallowed by the world's largest Venus flytrap, Vanessa improved the dirty mouth of the plant while introducing Orbit's newest flavor, Citrus Mint.