Big Red (gum)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Big Red is an artificially flavored cinnamon chewing gum owned by Wrigley's. The brand was released in 1975. Despite it not being a sugarless gum, in 2003 Wrigley's replaced some of the sugar with aspartame and Ace K, both artificial sweeteners.
Big Red became available in the UK & Ireland in the mid-to-late 1990s, but is no longer available there. It is a very popular souvenir for visitors to the US from Ireland or the UK.[citation needed] Big Red was also released in 2004 in Australia, but was soon discontinued. Some specialty sweets shops however, do still stock it. It was re-released again in late 2007.
Big Red is still available in New Zealand, although it is hard to find.
[edit] The "Big Red" Song
Like its sister product, Juicy Fruit, Big Red also had its own jingle, which was used from 1979 to 1998. It was sung by Ryan Devereaux. Many of the commercials showed couples passionately kissing in a romantic setting, which would later be parodied by a number of TV shows, including Saturday Night Live.
[edit] In Pop Culture
- In the 2006 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Ricky (played by Will Ferrell) appears in a Big Red commercial, in which he says "If you don't chew Big Red, then {bleep} you." Big Red would later sponsor NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Juan Pablo Montoya in 2007.
- In the Family Guy Star Wars special Blue Harvest, a pack of Big Red was one of the characters in Red Squadron during the assault on the Death Star.
