Gateway Gum: Mojito Mint

Katherine Mangu-Ward | April 17, 2007

Orbit has introduced a mojito-flavored gum, which a consumer watchdog group fears will be a gateway gum for kids. One chew of mojito gum and little Timmy will be climbing out of his bedroom window to drink overpriced rum cocktails in no time:

"It's something I'd call mildly reprehensible, and it'll almost certainly lead to others going further," said a spokesman for the Marin Institute, the watchdog group. "It's sad they need to name it like an alcoholic beverage to sell it."

Naturally, a spokesman for the agency that created the ads begs to differ, pointing out that every damn thing--from jellybeans to Slurpees--is already pina colada flavored, so mojito is hardly worse. Also,"We're aiming for [an audience in their] early 20s," he said. "This was never a teen brand."

The real reason for mojito-flavored gum?:

Breath-freshening Orbit is running out of names for mint-based flavors. The current stable includes bubblemint, winter mint, peppermint, spearmint, cinnamint, sweet mint, citrus mint, raspberry mint -- and now mint mojito -- which perhaps has a better ring to it than "lime-sugar-and-rum mint."

Read Jacob's take on a slightly more risque candy, marijuana lollipops.