After a seven year hiatus, Cadbury Adams USA LLC has launched a new advertising campaign for Bubblicious. The campaign features NBA Rookie of the Year LeBron James, the first pro-athlete endorsement for the bubble-gum brand.
As part of the unveiling, James and Bubblicious held a charity bubble-blowing contest last Friday between the New York Police Explorers program and the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation in New York’s Times Square.
At the event, Bubblicious gave away samples of its newest flavor, Carnival Cotton Candy, to the crowd and engulfed Times Square in a sea of pink bubble balloons by Cunning Communications, New York.
James’ appearance coincided with the launch of a print and Internet advertising campaign, entitled B-Explosive. Created by J. Walter Thompson in New York, B-Explosive is scheduled to break in mid-July.
The campaign portrays James’ career and achievements as well as the explosive flavor of Bubblicious, America’s No. 1 selling bubble gum. Each ad features James showing off his best moves—including blowing bubbles.
“The beauty of this campaign is that LeBron really chews Bubblicious when he’s playing,” Richie Glickman, a copywriter at J. Walter Thompson, said in a statement. “So now, every time he blows a bubble during a game, it’s like a two-second commercial.”