# Bazooka Joe Marketing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 8, 2023, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722 "2023-05-08T00:39:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/41 "2023-05-09T01:20:20Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > But Bazooka also came as an extended log with a bigger comic, and those cost a nickel, then a dime. We had those in Southern California, too. But if I had a whole nickel, I wasn’t about to blow it on gum (which Mom didn’t let us have anyway), not when chocolate was available. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/42 "2023-05-09T01:30:56Z")
When I was kid we still had individual glass milk bottles at school with collectable paper caps. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/43 "2023-05-09T07:27:20Z")
Somehow I know what those are. Couldn’t have been at school though, we had those triangular carton things. Might have been something the milkman would deliver. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/44 "2023-05-09T13:48:43Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I used to have a Pavlovian response to the smell when unwrapped that I didn’t get from any other kind of candy. Anectodal Aside: years ago, during a particularly bored period, I went down a Google rabbit hole searching for the question “what is bubble gum flavor?” Most of us can easily imagine the unique smell and taste of ‘bubble gum’ flavor from our youth. I’m talking the original flavor, OG Bazooka Joe gum being the perfect example. Other things are flavored with it, like bubble gum flavored ice cream. But what exactly is “bubble gum flavor”? The answer, when I tried to google it, was surprisingly nebulous and hidden in the mists of time and proprietary trade secrets among bubble gum manufacturers. It was kind of similar to googling the secret ingredients to Coke or the KFC herbs and spices. But the most likely answer I found was… A mix of strawberry, banana, and vanilla. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/45 "2023-05-09T14:01:25Z")
Funny, when I started reading this thread the National Lampoon thing was the first thing I thought of. The British one, in particular. (From memory): Character 1: I say old chap, don’t throw that cat in the river. Character 2: Why not? C1: Cats don’t like being wet. C2 (lighting cat on fire): But what if they’re on fire? C1: Hmm, yes, I do suppose you have a point there. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/46 "2023-05-09T14:04:11Z")
Mmmm, time to create a new summer dessert. I’m not usually a fan of desserts, but I do like them when they’re made with fruit and as little sugar as possible. A few years ago, I got a hankering for peaches and cherries and found a way to combine them. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/47 "2023-05-09T14:07:19Z")
In other words: > **Summary** > > Banana Split flavor 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/48 "2023-05-09T14:41:20Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Funny, when I started reading this thread the National Lampoon thing was the first thing I thought of. The British one, in particular. The British one? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/49 "2023-05-09T14:53:36Z")
“Mastication Elastic Joseph”. I assumed he was supposed to be British, maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/50 "2023-05-10T01:37:58Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > That stuff could be used as a throwing star **if** you cut it in the right shape. Dangerous! More than likely you’d bend/break hardened steel blades. Joe was named after a real kid…my BiL’s cousin ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/51 "2023-05-10T01:52:41Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Other things are flavored with it, like bubble gum flavored ice cream. But what exactly is “bubble gum flavor”? The answer, when I tried to google it, was surprisingly nebulous and hidden in the mists of time and proprietary trade secrets among bubble gum manufacturers I spent some time in Korea in the mid-90s and they had an awful soda that had that exact taste but very strong. We called it bubble gum juice. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/52 "2023-05-10T04:56:48Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > When I was kid we still had individual glass milk bottles at school with collectable paper caps. Were they easier to open than those stupid cardboard cartons where the spout can be difficult to unfold due to the glue? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/53 "2023-05-10T05:00:32Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > As a child, I thought it was weird that one of the characters wore a turtleneck sweater with the collar over his mouth. There was a reason for that: [![](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6b/06/ce/6b06ced86124612e63f2bcb75308ee3a.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6b/06/ce/6b06ced86124612e63f2bcb75308ee3a.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/54 "2023-05-10T05:00:59Z")
Very easy to open…but also very easy to distract the person handing out the bottles to grab those collectable caps, leaving a bunch of bottles topless, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/55 "2023-05-10T05:04:52Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > In the '50s and '60s, several brands of laundry detergent included free towels in every package. Yep. Also dishwasher soap. All sorts of stuff. Towels, glasses, knives. Housewife of the past needed a prize in the box to stay motivated I guess. [![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3d/b8/1c/3db81c29616ad19090e253eb2f5ba49f.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3d/b8/1c/3db81c29616ad19090e253eb2f5ba49f.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/56 "2023-05-10T05:55:54Z")
when i bought it in the early 80s it was 3 cents ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/57 "2023-05-10T06:19:30Z")
Yikes!!! Poor little fella. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/58 "2023-05-10T06:25:13Z")
The closest thing I can think of that you didn’t already mention in the OP is how certain overseas sellers will always include a little candy or sticker or similar in their packages as a thank you gift. (Not so much the mass market sellers or the super cheap stuff, but more individual sellers.) ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/59 "2023-05-10T10:18:29Z")
Wrigley started out selling soap with a free gift of baking soda. The baking soda was popular so he switched to selling that with a free gift of gum. The rest is history! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722/60 "2023-05-10T19:25:50Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Was it ever explained why Bazooka Joe had an eyepatch, The most likely reason for a child to wear an eyepatch is to [correct a lazy eye.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amblyopia). Sally Brown in Peanuts [went through a period](http://randomactsofgeekery.blogspot.com/2016/01/government-comics-featuring-sally-and.html) of wearing an eyepatch for that reason. So this is my head-canon. I’ll believe it until an official source tells me otherwise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bazooka-joe-marketing/983722.md?page=4)