The recognizable Wrigley’s Spearmint logo is associated with the minty taste of chewing gum and the natural ingredients the manufacturer uses. The designers created a visual image of coolness, purity, and freshness to emphasize the brand concept. Moreover, the logo symbolizes the wide availability of the product.
Wrigley’s Spearmint: Brand overview
Founded: | 1893 |
Founder: | Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company |
Headquarters: |
Chicago, Illinois, United States |
Wrigley’s Spearmint is a mint gum whose popularity has not diminished for 130 years. The rights belong to Mars Corporation, which absorbed Wrigley in 2008. Wrigley’s Spearmint logo is known in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
The gum business of Wrigley Jr. came about by accident. He came to Chicago to sell soap (1891), and as a bonus, he included baking soda with the purchase. However, the leavening agent turned out to be more in demand. So the businessman abandoned the soap and got into the soda business. He now used gum as a bonus. And when soda started to be bought for gum, it became clear – Wrigley’s future was in chewing gum (1893). Fifteen years later, Wrigley’s Spearmint was bringing in $1 million in revenue.
Meaning and History
Wrigley Jr. сompany evolved from a small soap business to a leading chewing gum manufacturer. Its founder, William Wrigley, noticed that people were reluctant to buy soap, so he started selling baking soda and gave each customer two packages of gum. The mini gifts proved much more popular than the main product, and William decided to change his specialization once again. In 1892 he registered the trademark Lotta Gum, and in 1894 Wrigley’s Spearmint appeared. The young businessman dared to do what no one else could do: popularize the mint flavor. He created a logo for the new brand himself to use on wrappers and advertising.
Being a born marketer, William placed the logo in magazines, newspapers, and on outdoor posters. At first, the public did not want to accept Wrigley’s Spearmint, but the active advertising promotion and the unchanging logo tipped the scales in a positive direction. Chewing gum is now incredibly popular, and its green arrow is an example of the successful use of symbols to create a recognizable brand.
What is Wrigley’s Spearmint?
A brand of chewing gum with a mint flavor, developed in 1893 by Wrigley and originally sold in Chicago. Now gum is distributed all over the world.
1913 – 1932
The logo was a black arrow to the right, placed on a yellow background, and informative inscriptions.
The main text in large capital letters in italics was placed on the arrow. The word Spearmint translates as “spearmint.” It can be decomposed into two words: “spear” – spear and “mint” – mint. The image of the arrow is most likely this spear. It represents the mint leaf as well as the sharp, rich taste.
The tip looks to the right, showing movement. It indicates the lingering action of the gum. The analogs of that time lost their flavor after just a few minutes. Therefore Wrigley gum stood out advantageously. The inscriptions on the tip of the spear also confirm the idea: the flavor and last, which can be translated as “long-lasting flavor.”
Underneath the spear, it says pepsin gum. Pepsin powder was added to the gum. According to the beliefs of the time, such a product improved digestion. Therefore, gum was not only a pleasure but had a therapeutic effect. The yellow background of the logo supported the theme of health benefits and pleasant refreshing taste logo.
Above the spear indicates that the gum belongs to the Wrigley Company.
1932 – 1950
In 1932, the company’s founder died, and his son Philip took over the helm. By the 40-s, he achieved the highest sales of Wrigley’s Spearmint. A competent advertising policy and attractive visual signs aided him. The logo of that time was changed and made more harmonious.
The limiting image background disappeared, which gave the sign an airiness associated with gum bubbles. The arrow was replaced by the color of mint leaves instead of bulky black. The element and the lettering now pointed to the mint flavoring.
Spearmint and Wrigley’s inscriptions became larger and balanced each other. And beneath the arrow was the very smug caption “the best gum.” However, given the sales volumes, the message was close to the truth.
1950 – 2002
By ’50, the company was able to recover from World War II. Production had to be significantly reduced during the war as the stock of raw materials ran out. Now production has been restored.
The general appearance of the logo was preserved. The arrow and the name remained. However, their fonts “lost weight,” showing a decrease in income and the difficult times the company had to go through. The bottom lettering has changed. Wrigley’s Spearmint was no longer positioned as the best. The caption was made simple: chewing gum.
2002 – 2012
By the 2000s, the firm was headed by the founder’s great-grandson. In 2002, Mars offered to buy the company, but the parties could not agree. The owner wanted to try to promote his brands on his own. He rebranded and began to conquer new markets.
The visual image of this time acquired several additions. The word Spearmint was located on an oval background placed over an arrow. Its letters, changing size, repeated the oval. This attracted attention to the name and showed the softness of gum and its pleasant, harmonious taste. And the company name in small letters was placed on a short red double-edged background on top.
This was the first logo that promoted the brand, not the company. Since the company produced several types of gum (Doublemint, Orbit, Eclipse), each with a minty flavor, it was important to show the customer which brand was hidden in the package.
Below the arrow is very thin, and small letters were added: 5 sticks of gum.
2012 – today
In 2008, the producing company did change ownership. This led to a rebranding. However, Mars company kept the idea of an arrow as a distinctive feature of Wrigley’s Spearmint.
The logo is a two-pointed arrow. One tip looks to the past, the other to the future. The composition communicates that the brand has come a long way and will go a long way. Both the past and the future are equally important. They are what made Spearmint what gum is today.
The arrow becomes narrower toward the center, which is reflected in the size of the letters, which also decreases toward the middle and increases toward the ends. The lettering shows that the flavor and formulation of the product are perfect and complete. Everything about the product is perfect, from start to finish.
The logo is reminiscent of the construction that comes from stretching the gum by the edges. It evokes the association with the flexibility and malleability of Wrigley’s sticks.
Font and Colors
The green color that dominates the logo is characteristic of many food brands, as it is associated with nature, freshness, and a healthy lifestyle. In the context of Wrigley’s Spearmint, the green color reflects the main taste of chewing gum – mint, which is considered fresh and cooling. It also reflects the traditional flavor of Wrigley’s chewing gum that has been popular for decades.
The font used in the logo is custom and has no official name. This font can be described as a mixture of sans serif and script font. It has a classic look associated with brands that have existed for a long time. The name Wrigley’s, written in sans-serif, has a modern look. This font makes the logo more recognizable and clear, which helps draw attention to the brand’s products on store shelves.
Wrigley’s Spearmint color codes
Medium Candy Apple Red | Hex color: | #dd132e |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 221 19 46 | |
CMYK: | 0 91 79 13 | |
Pantone: | PMS 185 C |
Bice Green | Hex color: | #41b74e |
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RGB: | 65 183 78 | |
CMYK: | 64 0 57 28 | |
Pantone: | PMS 354 C |
Evergreen | Hex color: | #004832 |
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RGB: | 0 72 50 | |
CMYK: | 100 0 31 72 | |
Pantone: | PMS 3425 C |