Bubblegum pink is a bright, fun, and youthful shade of pink. It got its name from the color of classic bubblegum. Bubblegum pink first started showing up in art and design in the 1960s and 70s, when Pop artists like Claes Oldenburg used it in their work. Since then, it has retained its associations with childhood, playfulness, and retro style.
The Origins of Bubblegum Pink
The exact origins of bubblegum pink are hard to pin down. Bubblegum itself wasn’t invented until 1928, when Walter Diemer stumbled upon just the right recipe while working for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia. The original bubblegum was a shade of pink, which helped give the product its kid-friendly, fun image.
In the 1940s and 50s, brands like Bazooka and Topps started packaging bubbles with collectible comics and trading cards, further catering to children. The packaging and gum for these brands was a distinctive bright pink color. By the time Pop artists started elevating everyday items like bubblegum into art in the 1960s, the color pink had become an important part of bubblegum’s brand identity and cultural associations.
Bubblegum Pink in Pop Art
Claes Oldenburg was one of the first artists to use bubblegum pink in his artwork. In 1963, he created a giant lipstick painted in a pastel pink titled Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks. Its bright, artificial color was reminiscent of both lipstick and bubblegum.
In 1966, Oldenburg opened his first store, The Store, which was filled with huge sculptures of mundane objects like shoes and pies painted in bright, fake-looking colors like bubblegum pink. Oldenburg wanted to elevate ordinary, everyday items into bold works of art through scale and color.
Other Pop artists like Wayne Thiebaud and James Rosenquist also used bubblegum pink in some of their most famous works. Thiebaud painted cafeteria desserts in mouth-watering pastels, while Rosenquist depicted slices of cake and ice cream cones in his surreal paintings. The color popped against contrasting backgrounds.
Andy Warhol, one of the most iconic Pop artists, didn’t use bubblegum pink much in his paintings. But he loved depicting consumer goods like Campbell’s Soup cans and Brillo boxes, much like Oldenburg. Brands like Bazooka Bubble Gum were big parts of consumer culture at the time.
Bubblegum Pink in Fashion and Design
Beyond Pop Art, bubblegum pink started to show up across fashion and design in the 1960s and 70s. Plastic household goods and electronics came in shades of juicy pink and pastel purple. In 1968, fridge and oven maker General Electric even released a new bubblegum pink color for appliances called “Fashion Accent Colors.”
Bubblegum pink also made its way into haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion. Yves Saint Laurent showed bubblegum pink peasant blouses and boas on the runway in the late 1960s. Retail giant Biba opened in 1964 in London, selling babydoll dresses and mini skirts in sugary pastel shades like bubblegum pink to trendy youth.
Bubblegum Pink from the 70s to Today
Since its heyday in the 60s and 70s, bubblegum pink has never fully gone out of style. In the 1980s, it showed up across pop culture in movies like Sixteen Candles. Teen star Molly Ringwald had a soft spot for bubblegum pink, wearing it often onscreen and off.
Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum helped lead a revival of bubblegum pink in fine art in the 1990s and 2000s, using it in his kitschy, vivid figure paintings. In the early 2000s, Paris Hilton favored baby pink Juicy Couture tracksuits, making bubblegum pink a staple look of Y2K fashion.
Today, bubblegum pink still feels playful, nostalgic, and fittingly retro. Millennial pink, one of the most popular colors of the 2010s, isn’t far off from classic bubblegum. Designers like Ganni, R13, and By Melina often use shades of bubblegum pink in their collections. It provides an instant dose of fun.
Finding the Perfect Bubblegum Pink
Now that we’ve covered the history and evolution of bubblegum pink, how do we actually recreate the color? There are a few different options depending on the medium you’re working in.
Bubblegum Pink in CMYK & RGB
In print design and digital design, bubblegum pink is created through color mixing using CMYK and RGB codes. Here are some of the most common bubblegum pink codes:
| Color Model | Code |
|---|---|
| CMYK | 0, 15, 6, 0 |
| RGB | 255, 207, 241 |
| HEX | #FFCF85 |
As you can see, in CMYK, bubblegum pink is created by adding a small amount of cyan and magenta ink, with no yellow or black. In RGB and HEX, it’s made by mixing high amounts of red and blue with a smaller dose of green.
The exact ratios can be adjusted to create deeper or softer variations of pink. But all bubblegum pink CMYK and RGB codes will have a high amount of magenta/red compared to cyan/green and yellow/blue.
Mixing Bubblegum Pink Paint
If you want to mix bubblegum pink with paint rather than using digital colors, you’ll need to blend a few different paint pigments together. Here is one recipe for mixing bubblegum pink acrylic paint:
- Titanium white – 2 parts
- Quinacridone magenta – 1 part
- Phthalo blue – 1 part
Start with a high ratio of white paint as your base to get a pastel pink. Then add small amounts of a cool blue like phthalo blue and a bright pink like quinacridone magenta. Combine until you achieve your desired shade of bubblegum pink.
You can also substitute out other pink and blue pigments, like alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue. Avoid earth tones for mixing bubblegum paint colors.
Finding Bubblegum Pink Dyes
For dyeing fabric or clothing bubblegum pink, look for specialty cotton candy or carnation pink fashion dyes. These will provide a truer bubblegum color than mixing your own from primary dye colors.
Rit, Dylon, and Tulip all make pastel pink fashion dyes perfect for getting that classic bubblegum look. Follow the instructions to get the right dilution for your fabric.
Using Bubblegum Pink in Designs
Once you’ve created the perfect bubblegum pink shade, it’s time to use it in your project. Here are some tips for working with bubblegum pink:
- Pair bubblegum pink with contrasting colors like mint green, pale blue, or black for a retro Pop Art look.
- Use it sparingly as an accent color against clean white or neutral backgrounds.
- Layer different tints and tones of pink for extra depth.
- Add bubblegum pink to kids designs, party invitations, or any project where you want to create a playful, whimsical mood.
- Use bubblegum pink alongside brand colors when designing for youth-oriented or feminine brands.
Bubblegum pink looks best when it pops against other colors, so be strategic about how much pink you use. A little bit of this bright shade goes a long way!
Conclusion
Bubblegum pink has been around for decades but still feels fresh and fun. The color first came on the scene in the 1960s through Pop Art and fashion, and it’s never gone completely away since. To recreate this playful pink yourself, look for CMYK codes with high magenta, RGB codes with high red/blue, or mix paint with white, pink, and blue pigments. Use bubblegum pink sparingly but boldly to add retro style and youthful energy to any design.