Bazooka to Honor 75th Anniversary With Yearlong Celebration
NEW YORK — Bazooka Cos. Inc. is celebrating 75 years of Bazooka Bubble Gum.
To honor the occasion, Bazooka is literally giving fans some nostalgia to chew on. Beginning as a penny gum brand featuring the famous Bazooka Joe and the Gang comics, Bazooka Bubble Gum became a pop-culture staple. The yearlong celebration will include a new set of original comics and fortunes from the 1980s, commemorative packaging, the return of a fan-favorite flavor, and the debut of a short film encapsulating the brand's history and impact.
"After 75 years, Bazooka has solidified its place as a pop culture icon and we're thrilled to celebrate this historic anniversary with exciting experiences for fans all year long," said Rebecca Silbrefarb, senior director of marketing at Bazooka Candy Brands, a division of The Bazooka Cos. Inc. "We are inviting our fans to take the journey down memory lane and to celebrate the festivities with us."
To commemorate the brand's legacy, this year's packaging will feature the nostalgic 1980s graphics with the new, 75th anniversary emblem honoring this milestone, which fans can collect and enjoy. The Bazooka Bubble Gum product line featuring the new package started rolling out earlier this year. Additionally, Bazooka is bringing back the fan-favorite Original Grape flavor in its wallet packs, which will be available this summer.
Bazooka also celebrates its heritage by revisiting the past, reimagining the future and highlighting how it became one of America's household brands via a short film. Set to release this summer, the film will celebrate the history of the brand and its impact on pop culture and the confectionary landscape.
"This short film will highlight how the Bazooka brand has become so meaningful to so many people over the last 75 years." said Alyson McManus, senior brand manager at Bazooka Candy Brands. "We hope that fans enjoy the documentary and will be inspired by the heritage of Bazooka Bubble Gum."
To engage in the 75th celebration year-round, Bazooka is encouraging new and existing fans to follow its social media channels, where fans can keep up with the birthday festivities including giveaways, promotions and more information on the 75th celebrations that Bazooka will host.
Convenience Store News has also reported on other confectionery anniversaries being celebrated in 2022. These include Haribo celebrating the 100th birthday of its original sweet treat, Goldbears. For a limited time, original Goldbears will include blue-raspberry flavored party hats. Haribo also will release limited-edition single-flavor varieties in pineapple and blue-raspberry.
In addition, OREO turned 110 years old this year. In the United States it is celebrating the childlike spirit that lives in all of us through a campaign that encourages fans of all ages to "Never Stop Wishing." The celebration includes the debut of a new limited-edition cookie, birthday-themed television spot, consumer sweepstakes, and more.
New York-based Bazooka Candy Brands is a division of The Bazooka Cos. Inc. and produces several candy products including Ring Pop, Push Pop, Baby Bottle Pop, Juicy Drop Pop, and of course, Bazooka Bubble Gum.