Wrigley’s Extra Thin Ice

Forgotten Food & Drinks · 2003–2007

Published 3 October 2026

Wrigley’s Extra Thin Ice was a UK range of breath-freshening strips that dissolved on the tongue instead of being chewed. Announced in October 2002, it reached shops in January 2003 as Wrigley’s first UK non-gum product. Peppermint launched first, with spearmint following in April 2003. Marketing Week later reported a £5 million launch investment and said in April 2007 that Wrigley was axing the range.

Why It Mattered

Its significance lay in taking a company closely associated with chewing gum into an unfamiliar dissolving-film format. Extra Thin Ice received The Grocer’s first Gold Award for best new product development and generated strong early figures attributed to Wrigley. Industry sources later suggested that trial did not become sustained demand, citing insufficient support, inadequate consumer education and a plastic-like appearance or unpleasant mouthfeel. Its short lifespan showed the difficulty of turning an inventive format into an everyday habit.

Strip Format and Flavours

The approximately inch-long translucent films were placed on the tongue, where they dissolved rather than being chewed like gum or eaten as conventional mints.
Peppermint was the original UK flavour; The Grocer reported that spearmint would join it in April 2003.
One WHSmith customer recorded buying 24 blue strips for about 70p.

Launch Claims and Trade Recognition

The strips were on sale by 21 February 2003.
Figures attributed to Wrigley gave Extra Thin Ice a 6.9% value share and a cash rate of sale 16% above Extra Peppermint single packs by June 2003; the underlying dataset has not been independently recovered.
The product received The Grocer’s first Gold Award for best new product development.
Marketing Week retrospectively reported that Wrigley invested £5 million in the UK launch; no original company budget or media plan has been located.

Extensions, Production and Withdrawal

Coffee, peach melba and cinnamon extensions were being considered in February 2004.
In October 2004, Wrigley was reported to be moving breath-strip production equipment from Arizona to Poznań amid falling US volumes and comparatively stronger European demand; this did not establish the UK line’s performance.
The strips could look like plastic and feel unpleasant in the mouth, while shoppers received little explanation of how to use them.
Marketing Week reported on 25 April 2007 that Wrigley was axing the range.

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Associated With

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company - developer, owner and marketer

Defining Feature

Micro-thin breath-freshening films that dissolved on the tongue

Status

Discontinued - UK withdrawal reported in April 2007

Primary Records

Wrigley’s 2003 Annual Report

Image Sources

Rights Notice

Images are included for historical and archival reference.

Rights holders may contact Forgotten Archive through the publishing account to request a credit correction or removal.

Gallery

An open translucent plastic dispenser on a blue ice-textured background, containing a stack of turquoise rectangular strips. Its blue label reads “Wrigley’s Extra Thin Ice” and “24 Peppermint Strips.” — Source
Credit
Mashed
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
Open Wrigley’s Extra Thin Ice dispenser.

Low-resolution video frame showing a closed white plastic dispenser labeled “Wrigley’s Extra Thin Ice Peppermint” on an icy blue background. Large white text reads “Get fresh in an instant,” and black borders frame the image. — Source
Credit
TVARK
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
Wrigley’s Extra Thin Ice Peppermint dispenser screenshot from the TV Advert.