Buzz
Many well-known consumer products guard their recipes closely. The Coca-Cola formula is reportedly known by only a handful of people; KFC keeps its blend of 11 herbs and spices a secret. However, in 1977, Bubble Yum had to publicly deny claims that their chewing gum's unique texture was due to an unconventional ingredient: spider eggs.
This urban myth started soon after Life Savers, Inc. launched the gum nationwide in 1976. While bubble gum had been around since 1928, thanks to Walter Diemer of the Fleer Corporation, Bubble Yum stood out for its soft texture and ease of chewing, allowing for quick bubble blowing and popping.
Mack Morris, the president of Life Savers at the time, chose to focus on the gum itself rather than using gimmicks like other brands. He remarked, 'We believed they were more focused on selling baseball cards and jokes than actual bubble gum.'
Bubble Yum underwent testing in Phoenix, receiving enthusiastic feedback from both children and adults. Morris identified adults as part of a group he referred to as 'closet chewers.'
Once widely distributed, Bubble Yum became an instant success. Sales skyrocketed, leading to production shortages that forced Life Savers to issue public apologies for the scarcity. According to The Chicago Tribune, children created a black market for the gum, selling packs that originally cost 20 cents for $1 or more. Bubble gum, which accounted for only 10% of chewing gum sales in 1970, surged to 33% by 1978.
For Life Savers, Bubble Yum seemed like an unstoppable success. However, rumors began to spread among children.
The Bubble Bursts
The initial trouble seemed to start in New York, where whispers about Bubble Yum's soft texture began to circulate. On playgrounds, where rumors thrive unchecked, children claimed the gum's chewiness came from spider eggs. (Some versions of the story even mentioned spider webbing.)
The rumor grew more elaborate, with stories of children waking up to find spider webs on their faces or spiders emerging from their bodies. One tale even claimed a child bit into the gum and found baby spiders inside. Terrifying accounts of deaths and even cancer spread, though stomach acid would likely neutralize any spiders or eggs before harm could occur. In fact, spiders might even be more nutritious than gum.
Not everyone was alarmed. Michael Reinhart, a 12-year-old from New Jersey, said, 'I chewed it, and I’m still alive.'
Sales on the East Coast, which had been strong, plummeted suddenly. Life Savers had to act quickly to address the issue.
The company began by evaluating the situation. A phone survey revealed that 40 to 50 percent of respondents had heard the rumor, and many believed it pointed to a genuine issue with Bubble Yum.
Lynn Lehew, a sixth grader in New Jersey, conducted an informal poll. She found that roughly 30 out of 90 classmates believed the spider egg story.
Alarmed, Life Savers hired private investigators to trace the origin of the rumors. However, given the unpredictable nature of playground gossip, the effort proved futile, and no leads were uncovered.
Morris was convinced that the best way to tackle the misinformation was to flood the public with accurate information. Life Savers contacted parent-teacher associations and school principals, urging them to dispel the rumor in classrooms. Additionally, the company placed full-page ads in roughly 30 major newspapers, including The New York Times, directly addressing the spider egg claim. The ads targeted adults, hoping they would discourage their children from spreading the urban legend.
The ad stated, 'Someone is telling your kids very bad lies about very good gum.'
For Bubble Yum, this strategy carried risks: while denying the rumor was logical, it also brought the allegation to the attention of millions of newspaper readers. Some PR experts advised Life Savers to simply ignore the gossip.
However, the advertising campaign worked. Follow-up phone surveys showed a decline in the number of people who believed Bubble Yum contained spiders. By the summer of 1977, sales had recovered, and competitors like Bubblicious and Increda-Bubble entered the market. (In New York, where the rumor was most persistent, sales remained sluggish.)
Interestingly, the Bubble Yum controversy coincided with a similar smear campaign against another children's favorite: Pop Rocks. The fizzy, popping candy was rumored to be deadly when consumed with soda, with kids claiming the combination would cause stomach explosions. One story even falsely claimed it killed John Gilchrist, the actor known as 'Mikey' from Life cereal commercials. (Gilchrist was unharmed.)
Pop Rocks didn’t fare as well as Bubble Yum: it was a short-lived trend that faded quickly. Bubble Yum, on the other hand, weathered the PR storm and became a lasting brand. However, it wasn’t without further issues. As the spider rumors died down, the American Dental Association raised concerns about an even more harmful ingredient in Bubble Yum: excessive sugar.
