Bubble gum has been a popular candy for over a century, known for its distinctive pink color and ability to form bubbles when chewed. But why was bubble gum always colored pink in the first place? The history of bubble gum’s association with the color pink reveals some interesting facts about marketing, food coloring, and cultural perceptions of gender in the 20th century.
Tracing the origins of bubble gum takes us back to 1928, when an accountant named Walter Diemer worked for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia. While trying to develop a new gum recipe, Diemer stumbled upon a formula that was less sticky than regular chewing gum and could be stretched and shaped into various forms. He added pink coloring to the concoction, since that was the only food coloring he had on hand at the factory. The resulting gum became known as Dubble Bubble, which Diemer helped market successfully after obtaining a patent. Over time, the distinctive pink color of Dubble Bubble became synonymous with bubble gum itself.
Early Marketing of Bubble Gum
In the 1930s, the Fleer company and other gum manufacturers began aggressively marketing bubble gum to children and teens. The colorful, cartoony packaging depicted happy youngsters, especially girls, blowing gigantic pink bubbles. An early Dubble Bubble commercial from 1939 features a young woman named Betty Lou proudly showing off her huge pink bubble to astonished passersby in town. Bubble blowing competitions were held across the country, further cementing bubble gum’s popularity and pink color in the cultural consciousness.
Marketers associated the new novelty candy strongly with girls and femininity. Reasons for this include the perception of sweetness and daintiness evoked by pink hues, as well as a desire to expand the customer demographic beyond boys who already chewed regular gum. Additionally, bubble blowing was portrayed in advertisements as harmless, silly fun suitable for young ladies in the era’s gender norms. The Fleer company mascot, dubbed Betty Dubble, was a cute blond cartoon girl and became an early icon of bubble gum itself.
| Year | Bubble Gum Marketing Development |
|---|---|
| 1928 | Walter Diemer invents first successful bubble gum, Dubble Bubble, colored pink |
| 1930s | Fleer markets Dubble Bubble as a fun candy for girls and youth |
| 1939 | Dubble Bubble ad shows Betty Lou blowing huge pink bubble |
| 1940s-50s | Bubble blowing popularized as a feminine hobby suitable for dates, parties |
Later History and Branding
By the mid-20th century, both boys and girls enthusiastically chewed pink bubble gum. However, its feminine associations largely remained due to cultural inertia and ongoing targeted marketing efforts. When Topps introduced Bazooka bubble gum in 1947, their mascot Bazooka Joe reinforced stereotypes with his pink bubble gum-chewing girlfriend. Comic strips featuring the character further cemented the perception.
Meanwhile, the distinctive pink color set certain major brands like Dubble Bubble apart from other gums. When Fleer’s patent on bubble gum expired, competitors flooding the market used different colors and packaging to distinguish themselves. Maintaining pink as its signature look allowed Fleer to keep branding power. Psychologically, the color also just “felt right” to consumers due to decades of cultural conditioning.
| Brand | Year Introduced | Package Color |
|---|---|---|
| Dubble Bubble | 1928 | Pink |
| Bazooka | 1947 | Red, White, Blue |
| Super Bubble | 1975 | Yellow |
By the late 20th century, some gum brands like Bubbaloo and Hubba Bubba had introduced new bubble gum colors. However, pink remained the quintessential, “default” color. Psychologically, the color evokes sweetness, childhood innocence, and nostalgia. It also reminds consumers of brands like Dubble Bubble that made pink iconic over decades of advertising and popular culture.
Modern Associations and Perceptions
While pink bubble gum is less strongly associated with gender today, its heritage and emotional associations remain.Marketers evoke nostalgia and kid-friendliness by using pink gum in products like cotton candy flavoring and scented toys. Bazooka Joe comics were revived in the 1990s with updated storylines, but the characters still chew familiar pink gum. The color remains appealing to kids and adults seeking fun, lighthearted candy.
However, since pink’s gender coding persists in other products, some brands offer alternative bubble gum colors to counteract this. Efforts at more gender-neutral marketing depict boys and girls both enjoying neon blue, purple, and green gums. Products like gumball machines mix in different colors while retaining plenty of pink. Nonetheless, consumers tend to regard pink as the “original” and “real” bubble gum color.
Bubble gum itself has also earned some cultural associations with silliness and frivolity over time, despite also representing innocence and fun. Critics of pink’s gendered history consider the color’s ongoing use somewhat patronizing. But fans of pink bubble gum argue it should be celebrated for providing affordable joy across generations. For many, those bright pink pieces forever flavor childhood memories themselves.
Conclusion
While invented by accident, bubble gum’s pink color developed strong cultural associations through history. Originally marketed towards girls and femininity in the early 20th century, pink bubble gum later became more universal while retaining distinct brand associations and nostalgic emotional power. Though gender perceptions of pink have evolved and some alternative colors exist, many still regard classic pink as the quintessential bubble gum color. The development of bubble gum’s distinctive hues reveals intriguing connections between marketing, consumer psychology, and cultural values over the decades. For chewers worldwide, “pale pink perfection” retains an enduring pop culture significance.
