HeadWay English course/Pre-Intermediate - The history of modern chewing gum текст песни

- The history of modern chewing gum begins in 19th century America. In 1892 a clever young salesman called William Wrigley decided that chewing gum was the thing of the future. Wrigley was a business genius. He was the first to use advertising to sell in a big way. Here is Leanne.

- William Wrigley was really an advertising genius. He hired hundreds of pretty girls, who he called “The Wrigley girls”. They walked up and down the streets of Chicago and New York City handing out free gum. Millions of pieces were given away. He also had huge electric signs and billboards – one billboard was a mile long, it ran along the side of the train track. So with all this, chewing gum became very popular all over the USA.

- So how did the world get to know and love chewing gum? Leanne again.

- Well, during the Second World War American soldiers were given Wrigley gum to help them to relax. In 1944 all gum production went to the US Army and they took their gum overseas and gave it to children. Soon they were followed everywhere by the cry: “Got any gum, chum?”

- And so the popularity of gum spread to other countries. After the war sales of gum exploded worldwide. Chewing gum was even taken into space by the first astronauts. So what exactly is it made of?

- Well, the strangest thing about gum today is that nobody knows what it's made of. Nobody will tell you. The chewing gum industry keeps the recipe top secret.