During the 1980s as the cola wars raged on with adults who had expendable income, another corn syrupy battle was taking place on suburban playgrounds across America. Thanks to a product that could be bought almost anywhere, GUM.
Their were some major players who used the power of marketing and flavor to build brand loyalty during childhood. Bazooka Joe, owned by the trading card company Topps. Hubba Bubba, owned by gum giant Wrigley. Bubbalicious, today a Cadbury Adams division. You don’t get to give kids free gum, become a gum giant or be a part of a division without a lot of children’s quarters. Once in a while a whole dollar.
A nickel bought you a piece of gum, quarters got you a pack with 5 (yes 5) whole pieces. When you’re on the play ground, your choice of gum could define you, until you went home. Any kid could buy those gum brands from the nearby deli. As young ghostheads we could come to school with gum that stood out from the crowd. Gum derived from Ecto-Plazm.
The Real Ghostbusters ECTO•PLAZM is a grape flavor bubble gum that came from the Amurol Products Company. Today known as Amurol Confections Company, a Wrigley’s brand. It isn’t like we had portfolios in 1986, gum could have been our currency.
Unlike traditional gums of the day, The Real Ghostbusters Ecto•Plazm comes in a tube, that resembles toothpaste. I’d like to think A.P.C wanted a rectangular piece of gum with gel inside. Unless their was a patent dispute, it wasn’t slimy enough. It couldn’t possibly ooze that way. Ironically the solution comes from the product that helps prevents cavities and is recommended by 4 out of 5 dentists.
Out of just about every flavor on planet earth, I don’t know why they chose grape. Yeah, kids like grape. When it came to gum it wasn’t my favorite flavor. Back then I might have wondered how gum could taste like other real fruits, such as watermelon. How about when worlds collided, gum that tasted like soda? That could only have been achieved by wizardry.
The reason we have “slime gum” is because of the purp.., I mean grape ghost that is coming at us in 3D. It could have, if A.P.C knew for sure we could still buy school milk.
I don’t think they could back that claim up, “Proof Of A Ghostly Encounter.” You know someone got a refund.
For some reason this Ecto•Plazm I bought as a ghosthead and collector was never opened. It still feels like if tens of years of exposed air wouldn’t change the chemical properties it could still squeeze out a gel which then becomes chewable gum.
I’m probably wrong, I feel like opening a 27 year old tube of mint gum will lower its value. Also, in my 5 minutes of research I didn’t see The Real Ghostbusters Ecto•Plazm gum. The Real Ghostbusters Slimer gum (which I don’t own) seems to be more common. If I have rare gum, I’m going to invest in a tech company.
Ecto-Containment 
