Gum and confectionery group Wrigley has said it will launch a new sugar-free gum brand in the US this summer, under the brand name 5.
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The USP for the new gum appears to lie as much in its texture as taste. The company describes 5 as a gum that you can “feel as you chew”. The new “groundbreaking” gum has “mouth-freshening, long-lasting flavours combined with invigorating sensations”.
The new brand will be available in three different versions: Rain: a “tingling” spearmint flavour; Cobalt: a cooling peppermint flavour; and Flare: a warming cinnamon flavour. All will be packaged in 15-stick envelopes which also marks a packaging innovation for the gum sector. The suggested retail price for the 5 envelope is $1.49 for individual packs and $3.49 for a three-pack.
“5 appeals to the senses and is the most exciting development in sugar-free stick gum since the launch of Extra more than 20 years ago,” said Bill Perez, Wrigley’s President and CEO, speaking at the company’s Annual Stockholders’ Meeting yesterday (13 March).
Martin Schlatter, Wrigley’s chief marketing officer, added: “Teens, who are constantly seeking opportunities to experience something out of the ordinary, are also the most frequent gum chewers of any age group and account for one-third of all gum chewed in the US. In our testing, teens and young adults have told us they love everything about 5 – from the unique tingling, cooling or warming sensations that accompany its delicious and especially long-lasting flavours to its bold graphics to its sleek, revolutionary packaging. 5 delivers an amazing new gum experience.”
