Dive Brief:
- 5 Gum is evolving one of its signature bits of marketing by handing the creative keys off to Gen Z TikTokers, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- The Mars Wrigley brand enlisted young creators to depict “How It Feels to Chew 5 Gum,” a tagline tied to its “Stimulate Your Senses” campaign. The 12-part content series includes shorts showing someone becoming a “human air conditioner” and a watermelon getting smashed so hard it shatters reality.
- The first three installments of the effort, which was developed with agency Energy BBDO, are already live across TikTok, Meta and YouTube. 5 Gum is embracing a strategy of co-creation, a popular tactic for engaging social-first Gen Z audiences.
Dive Insight:
5 Gum’s “Stimulate Your Senses” quickly made for iconic TV advertising following its debut in 2007. Like many CPG brands, the Mars Wrigley marketer is now reworking the concept to center on smartphones rather than living room screens while enlisting content creators to build authenticity and community connection.
“Stimulate Your Senses” since its inception has used over-the-top storytelling to illustrate the strong flavor of 5 Gum. The original slate of commercials includes a spot where a man sitting in a futuristic vehicle is shot into a giant dome covered in fans that represent the cooling sensation of 5 Gum’s peppermint flavor (“The Matrix” and other sci-fi movies of the era appear to be the key visual reference). 5 Gum’s maximalist, cinematic approach to marketing was memorable enough that the “How It Feels to Chew” phrase became a larger internet meme to comedically showcase feelings of euphoria and overstimulation.
@5gum Blast. Off. #StimulateYourSenses ????: @Hornet ????: @Chelsea H ♬ original sound - 5Gum
The social-first update to the campaign takes the same basic idea but strips out the 2000s edginess and adjusts the messaging for Gen Z’s quirky, online sense of humor. In one video, “Saturn Rings,” a 3D animated character clutches a giant ice pop as it zooms like a rocket into the orbit of the celestial body. In another, a man takes the first chew of a 5 Gum stick before an air conditioner forms in his mouth and cartoonishly hinges his jaw open. Marketing Dive has inquired as to whether any paid media support will factor into the effort.
“Seeing how fans have brought their humorous, vibrant perspectives to life over the years has been nothing short of inspiring,” said Maria Urista, vice president of gum and mints at Mars, in a statement. “With this campaign, we’ve taken their creativity and put it on a bigger stage, turning their incredible ideas into content that’s as bold and refreshing as 5 Gum itself.”
5 Gum has been ramping up its marketing targeted at Gen Z, with a focus on social and music culture. In September, the brand partnered with pop group Katseye on a collection of five products, including a room spray and limited-edition pressing of the "Beautiful Chaos” album, meant to embody each of the senses. Limited-time gum packs also featured members of the girl group Katseye.
