A n d r e w s G u m W o r l d

Wrigley Doublemint Edit 2008, originally uploaded by JWSherman.

 An editorial in last week’s The Reflector (which is the online student newspaper of Mississippi State University) weighed in on something AndrewsGumWorld has mused on before, and that’s Chris Brown’s song (and then commercial) “Forever,” which was first a hit song, and then revealed to be a song (among a few others) commissioned by Wrigley to further its brands via music by popular artists.

The editorial was written by Robert Scribner, a graduate student at that university, and while he likes the song and Doublemint gum, he’s a bit bothered by the intersection of the worlds of chewing gum advertising and music, and makes this interesting point near the end of his editorial, “Ad placements deceive customers”:

But is it really necessary to plant slogans subliminally into popular music? I have a degree in marketing, and even I wouldn’t stoop that low. It’s just not what music is all about, and it’s not what chewing gum is all about either. Both of these fine industries should be above deceiving their customers.

 Last week’s The Star, from South Yorkshire in the U.K., reported on the slightly delayed opening of a brand new school for students in the village of Doncaster.

The All Saints’ School in Rossington, a secondary school with recognition as a sports college, hosts 850 students in the five-years-in-the-planning £23 million (US$42 million) new building, which features new laboratories and an IT suite to go with last year’s record exam scores and this year’s new approaches, including new school uniforms for the students.

As the article notes, headteacher David Roswell has hopes that students will treat the new school well:

Mr Rowsell also showed his students photos of the old school to get across the message that he wants them to look after their new home.

“Some of the pictures showed chewing gum on furniture and I pointed out we’re not going back to those days. Chewing gum has been banned and we have only one designated dining area.

, originally uploaded by lindilindi.

, originally uploaded by paradis_3.

Chewing Gum Vending Machine_Wrigley’s, originally uploaded by penjelly.

Last week, CNNMoney.com (in between its reports on one of the worst weeks ever for the US economy) noted that Wrigley’s Extra gum would be part of the third season of the popular NBC show “The Biggest Loser,” for both the contestants on the show and viewers, who can take part in a sweepstakes that will connect winners with Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper (well, you can, of course, read what it says above).

Here’s how the article, “Extra(R) Gum Returns for Another Season on NBC’s “Biggest Loser”: Offers Audiences a Chance to Attend Season Finale Live and Meet Trainer Bob Harper” reports on how Extra gum plays a role in the contestants’ training regimen on the show:

“Maintaining the proper weight management routine can be a daunting task because it is tough to stick with healthy diet choices, a consistent workout routine and the will power to avoid unhealthy snacking,” said Bob Harper. “Small, daily steps like chewing a piece of Extra sugar-free gum to curb sweet cravings can have a tremendous impact on a healthy lifestyle. ‘Stick it to Snack Cravings’ sweepstakes winners who visit our set for the finale will witness first-hand the emotional impact of this transformation.”

This will be the third season in which the show’s trainers have recommended their contestants chew Extra gum when they crave sweets rather than indulging in higher calorie options. The trainers’ advice supports what research has shown, that chewing gum before snacking may help reduce cravings for sweets. Another evident benefit to chewing Extra gum is that it contains only five calories a piece. And, according to researchers, the sheer act of chewing gum can burn approximately 11 calories per hour.

Matchbook: Wrigley’s Spearmint Takes on the New York World’s Fair,
originally uploaded by R.Berdar.