Dubble Bubble

Dubble Bubble is an American bubble-gum brand whose origins date to 1928, when Walter Diemer, an accountant and gum-formulation hobbyist at Philadelphia-based Fleer Chewing Gum Company, developed a recipe that could produce bubbles without making the gum excessively sticky. Fleer had previously experimented with a bubble-gum formula called Blibber-Blubber, developed by company founder Frank H. Fleer in 1906, but that product was not commercially viable because it tended to adhere to surfaces and fall apart. Diemer's work revisited the basic concept and eventually produced a more usable formula. The breakthrough came after extended experimentation. Diemer reportedly produced an initial successful batch but could not immediately reproduce it. After several more months of testing, he made a roughly 300-pound batch suitable for commercial sale. The factory had only pink coloring available at the time, so the gum was colored pink; that practical choice became one of the most enduring visual conventions in the bubble-gum category. Diemer used a salt-water-taffy wrapping machine to prepare individually wrapped pieces, priced at one cent each, and demonstrated bubble blowing to salespeople so they could teach customers how to use the product. The first retail batch sold out quickly, helping Fleer establish Dubble Bubble as a mass-market product. Dubble Bubble is generally regarded as the first commercially sold bubble gum. Its early identity combined the gum itself with collectible and promotional material. Fleer included sequentially numbered comic strips and related wrapper features, including Fleer Funnies, Fleer Fortunes, and Dubble Bubble Facts. The characters Dub and Bub appeared in the early period, while Pud and his companions became the more recognizable brand figures from the mid-twentieth century onward. More than 1,000 comic issues were produced over the history of the insert program, although the undated and changing formats make precise chronology difficult. The brand's development was interrupted during the Second World War. Shortages of sugar and latex led to a suspension of Dubble Bubble manufacturing in 1942, although the product was also distributed to military personnel during the wartime period. Fleer resumed production in 1951, after which the brand expanded its flavors, shapes, packaging formats, and distribution. In 1957, Fleer introduced a six-piece gum pack associated with Dubble Bubble. Later extensions included gumballs, ball gum, specialty shapes, and additional fruit-flavored products, with distribution reaching markets outside the United States. Corporate ownership changed in the late twentieth century. Concord Confections acquired Dubble Bubble in 1998 and introduced a gumball version the following year. Tootsie Roll Industries acquired Concord in 2003, bringing Dubble Bubble into its broader confectionery portfolio. Under the post-acquisition ownership structure, the brand's formulation changed and the historic comic strips and fortunes were discontinued from wrappers, although Pud continued as a mascot. Contemporary products include individually wrapped pieces, gumballs, twist-style gum, specialty novelty forms, and products marketed under the 1928 Original name. Product labeling described in reference material identifies the gum as nut-free, gluten-free, and peanut-free, though formulations and claims may vary by product and market. Today, Dubble Bubble remains an active confectionery brand associated with pink bubble gum, childhood nostalgia, collectible packaging, and accessible impulse-purchase formats. Its significance lies not only in its longevity but also in its role in establishing bubble gum as a commercial category and in shaping the category's familiar pink visual language.

Dubble Bubble emerged from Fleer Chewing Gum Company's long-running effort to create a gum that could form bubbles without the excessive stickiness associated with earlier experiments. Fleer founder Frank H. Fleer had developed a prototype called Blibber-Blubber in 1906, but the formula was not suitable for broad sale because it adhered too readily and broke apart. In the late 1920s, Walter Diemer, a Fleer accountant who experimented with gum recipes as a hobby, revisited the problem using Fleer's existing ingredients and techniques. In 1928, Diemer noticed that one experimental batch was less sticky than ordinary chewing gum and could be inflated into bubbles. Reproducing the result proved difficult. After an initial successful batch failed to be replicated the next day, Diemer continued testing for several months before producing a larger batch of approximately 300 pounds. The factory's available food coloring was pink, and that limitation established the color that would become strongly associated with bubble gum. Diemer prepared individually wrapped pieces using equipment originally intended for salt-water taffy. The first pieces were sold at a Philadelphia-area candy store for one cent each and reportedly sold out in a single day. Fleer then commercialized the recipe under the Dubble Bubble name. The product's early launch relied on demonstration as well as packaging. Diemer taught sales representatives how to blow bubbles so that they could explain the product to retailers and consumers. Dubble Bubble became the first commercially sold bubble gum and rapidly developed a distinctive identity through wrapper inserts. Fleer Funnies comic strips, Fleer Fortunes, and Dubble Bubble Facts made the product collectible and gave the brand a recurring cast of characters. Dub and Bub appeared in the early comics; Pud and his companions later became the principal visual symbols. The strips changed in size and presentation over time, and the overall run eventually exceeded 1,000 issues. Wartime supply conditions disrupted the business. Dubble Bubble was distributed to military personnel, but shortages of sugar and latex forced manufacturing to stop in 1942. Fleer resumed production in 1951. During the following decades, the company extended the line with additional fruit flavors, ball gum, gumballs, multipiece packaging, and international distribution. A six-pack introduced in 1957 was an early example of the brand's move from single-piece impulse sales toward more varied retail formats. Ownership shifted in 1998, when Concord Confections acquired Dubble Bubble. Concord introduced a gumball version in 1999, helping adapt the brand to vending, novelty, and bulk-confectionery channels. In 2003, Tootsie Roll Industries acquired Concord. After that transaction, Dubble Bubble used a different recipe and discontinued the comic strips and fortunes on wrappers, although the Pud mascot remained part of the brand's heritage. The modern range has included classic wrapped gum, gumballs, twist gum, novelty gum cigars, bite-size pieces, and a product identified as 1928 Original. Dubble Bubble continues to trade as an active brand within Tootsie Roll Industries' confectionery portfolio.

• 2003

  Tootsie Roll Industries acquires Concord

  [1]Dubble Bubbleen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition places Dubble Bubble under Tootsie Roll Industries' ownership.

• 1999

  Gumball line introduced

  [1]Dubble Bubbleen.wikipedia.org

  Concord expands Dubble Bubble into gumballs.

• 1998

  Concord Confections acquires the brand

  [1]Dubble Bubbleen.wikipedia.org

  Dubble Bubble becomes part of Concord Confections.

• 1957

  Six-piece pack introduced

  [1]Dubble Bubbleen.wikipedia.org

  Fleer adds a six-piece Dubble Bubble package to the product range.

• 1951

  Manufacturing resumes

  [1]Dubble Bubbleen.wikipedia.org

  Fleer restarts Dubble Bubble production after the wartime suspension.

• 1942

  Production is halted during the Second World War

  [1]Dubble Bubbleen.wikipedia.org

  Sugar and latex shortages interrupt Dubble Bubble manufacturing.

• 1930

  Dub and Bub appear in brand comics

  [1]Dubble Bubbleen.wikipedia.org

  The early Fleer comic-strip program introduces Dub and Bub as Dubble Bubble-associated characters.

• 1928

  Dubble Bubble is invented

  [1]Dubble Bubbleen.wikipedia.org

  Walter Diemer creates a workable bubble-gum recipe at Fleer and the first commercial batch is sold in individually wrapped pieces.

• 1906

  Fleer develops an early bubble-gum prototype

  [1]Dubble Bubbleen.wikipedia.org

  Frank H. Fleer's Blibber-Blubber formula represented an early attempt at bubble gum but was shelved because it was too sticky and fragile for commercial use.

A nostalgic, mass-market bubble-gum brand built around pink gum, playful fruit flavors, bubble-blowing, novelty formats, and long-standing character and comic-strip associations.

• Bubble gum · 1928

  Classic Dubble Bubble

  The core product is a fruit-flavored bubble gum traditionally associated with individually wrapped, pink-colored pieces. It is positioned as an accessible impulse confection and is sold in assorted package sizes and formats.

• Bubble gum

  1928 Original Dubble Bubble

  The 1928 Original line references the brand's founding formulation and heritage. Reference material describes it as a simpler gum product using sugar, dextrose, corn syrup, gum base, artificial flavor, color, corn starch, and BHT.

• Ball gum

  Dubble Bubble Ball Gum

  Ball gum extends the brand's familiar bubble-blowing proposition into rounded pieces suitable for packaged retail and bulk or vending contexts.

• Novelty gum

  Dubble Bubble Twist Gummies

  Twist-style pieces provide a bite-size variation on the traditional gum format while retaining the Dubble Bubble flavor and visual identity.

• Novelty confectionery

  Dubble Bubble Specialty Gum Cigars

  The gum-cigar format is a novelty presentation designed for celebrations, party favors, and themed confectionery displays rather than ordinary single-piece consumption.

• Bite-size gum

  Dubble Bubble Office Pleasures

  Office Pleasures consists of small pieces intended for convenient sharing or repeated consumption in workplace and everyday settings.

• 2003

  Integration into Tootsie Roll IndustriesM&A

  Background

  Tootsie Roll Industries acquired Concord Confections and thereby obtained ownership of Dubble Bubble.

  Action taken

  The brand was brought into Tootsie Roll Industries' confectionery portfolio.

  Aftermath

  The brand subsequently used a different recipe and ended the wrapper comic-strip and fortune program, while retaining Pud as a mascot.

  Source

• 1999

  Expansion into gumballsProduct launch

  Background

  After Concord Confections acquired the brand, Dubble Bubble was extended into a rounded gumball format.

  Action taken

  Concord introduced Dubble Bubble as a gumball product.

  Aftermath

  The move broadened the brand's formats and supported vending, novelty, and bulk-confectionery distribution.

  Source

1. 1Dubble Bubbleen.wikipedia.org