form what was known as "the chewing gum
trust," (American Chicle) and this combination
meant very serious competition for the de-
veloping Wrigley business. (Mr. Wrigley was
offered a chance to join the trust, but he
chose to go his own way.) Several times
the young company was on the verge of
going under but continued to resist the
"trust hegemony."
Mr. Wrigley continued the use of premiums
to encourage merchants to stock his prod-
ucts. He knew that his customers would be
more likely to carry Wrigley's chewing gum
if they received a
fssodmonls 11/217?1ff ri've s11lismdio11
little "something
~~::t
l ~,,;,,,,.
i:-;-
for nothing." Mr.
Wrigley expanded 1 ~
I 01:-::
1,
~~ :::.
w..,.,,
his premium of-
I "~.~--~-.. ~ I ::.~;;;.
-~-=-:
fers to include
~E~~~~~li
items ranging
I ~a:g,.[;,'#f.l§:'~'"7.;;
from lamps to
I F~~~~
razors to scales.
These offers
J 1~
1
grew to be so
I ~unn ·
successful that
~jJ~;§.~~~~~
he published
;SiJ"a.~.T:1::~~21:i;
premium catalogs
to assist his customers in their selection.
f
..a
..... . ,1 .... ... .. _ _ _ _ _ _
fi>ffom1urn (!!rfe,..No ll~
t l"1lrl
·-
f&)f"e
rllJIC CUlllt dlOITl lff
Setting a trend
Wrigley wasn't the only one
to offer premiums to boost
sales. The very first com-
mercial manufacturer of
(spruce) chewing gum, Cur-
tis & Sons, Co., of Portland,
Maine, followed Wrigley's
lead and put put a "Catalog
of Valuable Premiums that
listed items that ranges from
cuff links and shaving sets to
various pocket watches. Unlike the premi-
ums that Wrigley offered that went to the
retailer, Curtis' premiums were offered di-
rectly to the consumer who collected wrap-
pers which, in the proper quantities, could
be exchanged for the goods. Blue Ribbon
Gum, Ten Crown, Kis-me, Advo Gum (manu-
factured by McCord-Brady Co, Omaha, Nebraska),
Smyrna and many others offered this type
of premium.
Wrigley tended to advertise his premiums
through fliers distributed to distributors,
jobbers and directly to retailers. Others,
such as JT Crecelius & Co, Louisville, KY
manufacturers of Golden's Honey Tolu
Chewing Gum,
placed adver-
TRUNK FREE. /
~ = ~ ! f . •• .:\"
GOLDEN'S HONEY TOLU
tisements in
CHEWING GUM.
publications,
such as the
J. T. CUCILIUS &. CO.,
Confectioners'
,,. LOUISYILLI,
, , KY. _ ..
tmi~Mtt\l~•-W.:;.,llt~~ ..
Journal ( 1889
shown) for
"Golden's Honey Tolu Chewing Gum" show-
ing a small trunk free with Honey Tolu and
another premium for a song sheet for
"Hello, Bab-by, Here's your daddy" given
with "Picaninny Tolu."
A
•
,,-,
" WT
I
.... .. ...
11 .. ,11u C1Vaa•r
t
~ -..:..~ ~ - ' . ~L"rlf.
Large and small gum manufactures joined in
the premium boom. Primley's gum offered
"Primley's Quadruple plate tea set offer,
Warranted to wear ten years, The fact that
J.P. Primley Manufacturer of California Fruit
Gum makes this offer is sufficient guaran-
tee of its quality." An 1890's Primley's ad-
vertisement from St. Nicholas magazine
shows a black porter carrying an arm load
of gum, contained a poem about the gum
and a premium offer.