Wrigley's: Double Your Pleasure
Wrigley's needed to maintain its market dominance in the competitive chewing gum category. BBDO Chicago was tasked with modernizing the 'Doublemint Twins' concept for a 1980s audience, shifting from static product claims to an aspirational lifestyle. The goal was to make Doublemint the top-of-mind choice for young consumers by associating the gum with social connection and 'doubling' one's enjoyment.
Creative Idea
Literalized the brand name by using identical twins to represent 'double' the pleasure and flavor.
Wrigley's transformed a simple functional benefit into a lifestyle aspiration by using identical twins to personify 'double the flavor,' creating a catchy, synchronized world where chewing gum became the ultimate social accessory for shared fun.
The Unscripted Windfall of the Poolside Twins
A Fifty Percent Market Stranglehold
By 1986, the strategic pivot to aspirational lifestyle imagery paid massive dividends, securing Wrigley a 50% share of the $2.8 billion U.S. chewing gum market. Doublemint became the nation - best - selling gum, driven by a heavy television rotation that turned the "Double Your Pleasure" jingle into one of the top ten most enduring melodies in advertising history. The campaign was so lucrative for its stars that the lead twins, Linda and Lisa Yokubinas, reportedly earned up to $30,000 per period in residual checks during the height of the commercial's run.
Synchronized Robots and Flying Hats
The 1985 "Pool" spot was filmed north of Santa Barbara by a director with a background in fashion photography, which accounts for the distinct "golden hour" lighting. To emphasize the "double" theme, the director coached the twins into a robotic synchronicity that felt unnatural to the performers but became an iconic visual shorthand for the brand. One of the most famous moments in the ad - when the twins' white hats blow off in the wind - was actually an unscripted accident. The director loved the spontaneous energy of the mishap and kept it in the final cut.
Normalizing the Social Stigma
Beyond sales, the campaign shifted industry standards. Before the 1980s, Wrigley avoided showing people actually chewing gum due to a lingering social stigma. This campaign successfully rebranded gum - chewing as a wholesome, outdoor activity. However, the fame came with a "Doublemint Curse" for the Yokubinas sisters, who used the stage names Linda Ryan and Lisa Winters to protect their individual careers, only to find themselves permanently typecast by the campaign's massive cultural footprint.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A long-standing product benefit of 'double the flavor' and an established history of using twin imagery in print.
Category
Chewing gum ads often focused on breath freshening or simple product shots without showing people actually enjoying the act.
Customer
Young adults in the 80s sought 'yuppie' lifestyle aspirations, valuing social connection, wholesome fun, and lighthearted, breezy entertainment.
Culture
The mid-80s obsession with synchronized aesthetics and pastel-colored, tropical leisure culture made the 'double' theme feel modern and trendy.
Company
A long-standing product benefit of 'double the flavor' and an established history of using twin imagery in print.
Category
Chewing gum ads often focused on breath freshening or simple product shots without showing people actually enjoying the act.
Strategy:
Literalize a functional product name through visual and auditory repetition to cement brand recall in impulse-buy environments.
Customer
Young adults in the 80s sought 'yuppie' lifestyle aspirations, valuing social connection, wholesome fun, and lighthearted, breezy entertainment.
Culture
The mid-80s obsession with synchronized aesthetics and pastel-colored, tropical leisure culture made the 'double' theme feel modern and trendy.
Strategy:
Literalize a functional product name through visual and auditory repetition to cement brand recall in impulse-buy environments.
Strategy Technique
Create a New Mental Shortcut
By consistently pairing the product with twins and the 'Double Your Pleasure' jingle, Wrigley's built an instant cognitive link between the brand name and the concept of doubling.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Wordplays
The campaign literalized the 'Double' in the product name through the use of identical twins, turning a linguistic brand attribute into a visual and musical motif.
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Craft Breakdown
This ad is a masterclass in brand consistency and mnemonic devices, using the 'twin' motif to perfectly mirror the product name.
The use of two sets of identical twins is the core creative hook that reinforces the 'Double' brand identity.
The jingle is incredibly catchy and serves as a powerful audio brand asset that explains the product benefit.
The synergy between the visual 'doubling' of the twins and the lyrical 'doubling' in the music creates a singular, unforgettable brand message.
