Wrigley’s gum began as a free gift with baking powder.
William Wrigley Jr. arrived in Chicago in 1891 with $32, selling soap. He gave away baking powder to sweeten each sale, then sold the baking powder with free chewing gum, until customers wanted the gum more. He dropped the rest. In 2008, Mars bought the gum empire for $23 billion.
Wrigley on Brandseum