While bubble gum in a tube isn't new, bubble gum in a tube with snappy graphics is rare because of difficulties in printing on plastic and many composites. Amurol Confections Co. thinks it found the solution: a tube made of an aluminum foil and polyethylene laminate that accepts six-color lithographed graphics.

The new packaging was applied to Fresh Squeezed Bubble Gum with Real Fruit Juice, which the Yorkville, Ill., division of William Wrigley Jr. Co. introduced to Japanese and domestic markets last year. "It was time to dress up the packaging and add some pizzazz," explains Jerry Burke, Amurol's purchasing manager. "We expected a sales lift, and it's done better than we anticipated."

The manufacturer turned to CCL Container's Tube Division to produce the packaging. A tamper-evident aluminum-foil seal with a pull tab covers the tube's opening, and a threaded cap lets consumers reseal the tube for future use. "It just happens to be the perfect combination of product and package," says Burke.

CCL Container, Tube Division. Tel.: (856) 467-0485.