When you think about old fashioned candy, Bazooka Gum is right there at the top of the list, next to Boston Baked Beans and Necco Wafers. That is to say, it’s not what most people reach for when they need a sugar fix. When compared to the flashy and colorful array of chewing gums out there, Bazooka, which hit stores in 1947, seems downright quaint. Remember the little comic strip tucked inside of the wrapper? The rock hard texture that required a decent amount of chewing (and saliva)?
According to the New York Times, Bazooka Candy Brands, a division of the Topps Company, is overhauling the product with a new logo, packaging and ad campaign aimed at kids – who probably don’t even know who Bazooka Joe is, let alone chew regular flavored gum. Talk about old fashioned!
While Bazooka Joe will stick around (with an edgy, new spiked hairdo and backward baseball cap), the comics will be replaced with brainteasers that include activities or games plus codes to activate content like video games. And the traditional red, white and blue packaging will be redone in bright pink and yellow with a graffiti-like look. Possibly the biggest change is that another flavor will be introduced. Each package will include 10 pieces of gum, five original flavor and five blue raspberry.
While the jury’s still out on whether kids (and longtime fans) will like Bazooka 2.0, but retailers are already interested. For the first time, the gum will be available in Target, Kroger and 7-Eleven stores starting in 2013.
