Thrills

Thrills is a Canadian brand of chewing gum known for its purple color and distinctive soap-like flavor, derived from rosewater.^[1] Originally produced by the O-Pee-Chee Company in London, Ontario, starting in the 1940s, the brand gained popularity for its unique taste, which the modern packaging playfully acknowledges with the slogan "IT STILL TASTES LIKE SOAP!".^[2] Acquired by Nestlé in the late 1980s, Thrills was later sold in the 1990s, with manufacturing relocated to Spain, where it is currently produced for Tootsie Roll Industries.^[3] The gum is sold primarily in Canada and evokes strong nostalgia among consumers for its unconventional flavor.^[2]

History

Origins with O-Pee-Chee

The O-Pee-Chee Company, established in 1911 in London, Ontario, by brothers John McKinnon McDermid and Duncan McDermid, initially focused on producing chewing gum and confectionery products, later expanding into trading cards that became iconic in Canadian culture. The company named itself after "O-Pee-Chee," derived from the Ojibwe word for "robin," reflecting its Canadian roots. Thrills gum emerged from this confectionery tradition as one of O-Pee-Chee's key offerings, introduced in the 1940s amid the challenges of wartime production and sugar rationing that limited broader candy manufacturing.^[3]^[4] Post-war recovery allowed gradual expansion, aligning with renewed access to resources. The initial flavor lineup for Thrills included peppermint, spearmint, and cachou—a licorice-like flavor—mirroring mid-20th-century trends toward perfumed candies that evoked floral and herbal notes.^[3] These selections emphasized simplicity and availability, with cachou drawing from traditional European influences adapted for North American palates. Production occurred at O-Pee-Chee's facility in London, Ontario, at 430 Adelaide Street, where small-scale operations relied heavily on local Canadian sourcing for ingredients and labor. The factory's operations left a lasting imprint on the community, with locals recalling the pervasive, sweet aroma of gum production that permeated the neighborhood.^[5]

Ownership Transitions and Modern Production

In 1996, Nestlé acquired the O-Pee-Chee Company, integrating its confectionery operations, including Thrills gum, into its broader portfolio while preserving the brand's Canadian identity.^[6] Following this acquisition, the Thrills brand was sold by O-Pee-Chee (under Nestlé ownership) in the late 1990s to Tootsie Roll Industries, an American confectionery firm based in Chicago, Illinois.^[3] This transition marked a shift from Canadian ownership to U.S.-based management, with Tootsie Roll Industries assuming responsibility for the brand's distribution and production.^[3] To enhance cost efficiency, manufacturing of Thrills gum was relocated from its original facility in London, Ontario, to Spain during the 1990s, where the original recipe has been maintained.^[2] As of 2025, Thrills remains under Tootsie Roll Industries' ownership, with production continuing in Spain through an international supply chain that supports global distribution, particularly in Canada.^[3]^[2] This evolution from localized Ontario-based operations to a globalized model has allowed the brand to sustain its nostalgic appeal among Canadian consumers despite the changes in corporate structure and location.^[3]

Product Description

Flavor Profile and Ingredients

Thrills gum is renowned for its distinctive rosewater flavor, derived from rosewater essence, which imparts a bold, floral taste profile that emerged as the product's signature in the mid-20th century.^[2] Introduced during the 1950s and 1960s, this flavor aligned with contemporary trends in perfumed confections, such as teaberry and violet candies, reflecting an intentional design choice to capture the era's interest in aromatic, old-fashioned essences rather than any manufacturing error.^[1] The rosewater essence evokes a nostalgic, mid-century confectionery style, though its intensity divides consumers, with many describing it as reminiscent of soap due to the ingredient's historical use in scented soaps and candies, despite containing no actual soap components.^[2] Early iterations of Thrills, launched in the 1940s, featured a range of flavors including peppermint, spearmint, and cachou—a licorice-like taste that bore some similarity to the soapy perception later associated with the brand.^[2] By the 1970s, rosewater had solidified as the dominant and iconic flavor, coinciding with the gum's shift to its recognizable purple hue, which visually reinforces the floral theme.^[3] The core ingredients of modern Thrills gum consist of sugar, gum base, glucose syrup, sorbitol syrup, white corn dextrin, natural and artificial flavors (primarily rosewater), carnauba wax, BHA as a preservative, and colors, ensuring a chewy texture without animal-derived components.^[7] Produced in a certified peanut-free facility, it caters to allergy-conscious consumers while maintaining its classic composition.^[7] Sensory-wise, Thrills offers a long-lasting chew typical of chicklet-style gums, with approximately 5 calories per piece, positioning it as a low-calorie option that delivers a persistent, bold flavor release.^[8] This divisive profile—floral yet polarizing—continues to evoke nostalgia for vintage sweets, underscoring its enduring appeal in Canadian confectionery.^[1]

Packaging and Formats

Thrills gum has long been recognized for its distinctive packaging, which emphasizes its retro Canadian heritage. The classic wrappers from the O-Pee-Chee era in the 1940s featured simple, colorful paper designs, typically with an off-white top quarter and yellow lower three-quarters, including an oval plastic-covered viewing hole to display the contents. These early packs contained 10 pieces of gum and bore the "Thrills" branding in blue script lettering on the front, along with pricing indicators like "candy coated CHEWING GUM 5" in black text, reflecting the product's affordability at the time. The back panels included phrases such as "SWEETEN CONVERSATION" and manufacturing details from the O-Pee-Chee Company in London, Ontario.^[3] Over the decades, the formats of Thrills gum have remained consistent in scale while adapting to modern distribution needs. It is traditionally sold in small sticks within 10-piece packs, with options for bulk purchases such as 20-pack cases that bundle multiple individual packs for retail or wholesale. Contemporary variations include imported Canadian-style 10-piece packs tailored for international markets, maintaining the original stick format for individual consumption.^[9]^[10] The design of Thrills packaging has evolved to balance nostalgia with practicality, particularly after the 1990s transition under Tootsie Roll Industries. Early O-Pee-Chee wrappers were tied to the product's flavor profiles through straightforward, vibrant paper constructions that highlighted the gum's unique attributes without elaborate graphics. Post-1990s updates shifted to more durable formats, including blister packs that reveal the purple gum pieces inside, evoking the soap-like rosewater essence while preserving a retro aesthetic. Current designs incorporate nostalgic elements, such as simplified layouts reminiscent of mid-20th-century styles, to appeal to longtime fans.^[2]^[3]^[1] Thrills gum is primarily available in Canada through candy stores, supermarkets, and online retailers, where it occupies shelf space as a nostalgic staple. In the United States, distribution is limited to imports via specialty candy websites and e-commerce platforms, often marketed as a quirky Canadian import.^[2]^[9] Branding on Thrills packaging prominently features nostalgic phrasing to reinforce its cultural legacy, including the enduring slogan "It still tastes like soap!" which playfully acknowledges the gum's infamous rosewater flavor. Additional marketing elements, such as "Get your thrills cheap," highlight the product's inexpensive, accessible appeal and retro charm in contemporary promotions.^[2]^[10]^[1]

Cultural Impact

Reception and Nostalgia in Canada

Thrills gum has garnered a distinctly polarized reception among Canadian consumers since the mid-20th century, earning a reputation as a "love-it-or-hate-it" product due to its unconventional, soap-like taste derived from cachou flavoring. Often colloquially dubbed "soap gum" in everyday discussions, it has been both derided for its off-putting floral notes and celebrated for its bold uniqueness, a perception the brand itself acknowledges with the packaging slogan "It still tastes like soap!" This divisive quality, rooted in its rosewater-infused profile, has persisted since the 1950s, setting it apart from more conventional chewing gums.^[1]^[2] The gum's nostalgic appeal is deeply embedded in Canadian cultural memory, serving as an enduring icon of childhoods from the 1940s through the 1980s. Produced by the O-Pee-Chee Company in London, Ontario, Thrills was frequently bundled with popular trading cards, fostering associations with simple joys like collecting hockey or baseball cards during post-war summers. Local recollections of the O-Pee-Chee factory in London further amplify this sentiment, evoking scents and sounds of mid-century confectionery production that symbolize a bygone era of community and innovation.^[1]^[2]^[3] Despite minimal marketing, Thrills has sustained a dedicated cult following in Canada, with popularity surging during retro candy revivals in the 2000s and 2020s as consumers seek out vintage treats. Its cultural role extends to representing innovative Canadian confectionery from the mid-20th century, capturing the unpretentious simplicity of post-war life and earning frequent mentions in compilations of "only in Canada" products that highlight national quirks.^[11]^[1] By 2025, Thrills has experienced a notable revival, with expanded availability in specialty candy stores and e-commerce outlets catering to nostalgic buyers drawn to its rare, distinctive flavor that evokes discontinued era-specific confections. This resurgence underscores its enduring place in Canadian identity, where the gum's quirky charm continues to spark conversations and fond remembrances.^[11]^[1]

References in Media and Popular Culture

Thrills gum has been featured in Canadian media as a nostalgic emblem of childhood, particularly in television segments evoking 1990s and 2000s memories. In a 2018 CBC broadcast, participants from multiple generations shared recollections of favorite treats, highlighting Thrills as a quirky, enduring part of retro confectionery culture.^[12] Vancouver-based outlets have similarly referenced it in local history pieces, underscoring its ties to regional identity and production origins.^[2] In articles exploring Canadian food history, Thrills is profiled for its distinctive profile and cultural staying power. A 2017 Gastro Obscura feature detailed its rosewater base and widespread "soap" comparisons, positioning it within 1950s-1960s trends of experimental perfumed candies like teaberry and violet flavors.^[1] The piece also noted its role in broader pop culture analyses of flavor innovation during that era, where unconventional tastes reflected post-war confectionery experimentation.^[1] A 2022 Vancouver Is Awesome article further clarified its non-soap ingredients while discussing its persistence as a beloved oddity in national snack narratives.^[2] Online, Thrills has sparked viral interest through nostalgia-driven content, including Reddit threads debunking production myths and Facebook groups sharing personal stories since the early 2020s.^[2] On TikTok, it appears in retro candy challenges and prank videos as of 2023, often testing reactions to its polarizing taste, with local media like BC Is Awesome amplifying these trends.^[2] Symbolically, Thrills embodies quirky Canadian identity in international contexts, frequently appearing in travel culture compilations as a "weird food" staple that deters sharing due to its bold flavor.^[1] It lacks major celebrity endorsements but recurs in expat anecdotes and guides highlighting unique regional treats.^[1] This portrayal reinforces its status as a lighthearted icon of national eccentricity, distinct from mainstream global candies.