Chew on this: Gum advertising, once as flavorless and bland as a piece that had been gnawed on for hours, is fast taking on new spice. And the heat of the ads is transferring to gum sales. A new ...

With teenagers, the core chewing constituency, increasingly bypassing the gum aisle, Chicago-based Wrigley recently launched a new ad campaign for its Extra brand reaching for broader appeal ...

But I suspect for the chewing-gum business, the problem goes deeper than all that. Gum has also lost a certain cultural cachet. In a previous generation of films, the product was a bit edgy.

For decades, chewing gum was a symbol of rebellion, synonymous with youthful angst, bestowing the chewer with an aura of boldness, bravado and sex appeal. Rockstars masticated on stage. Characters ...