What Happened to Fruit Stripe?
ℹ️ Fate: Ferrara Candy Company discontinued Fruit Stripe in January 2024 following a portfolio review.
Launched in 1969 by Beech-Nut, Fruit Stripe became a cult-favorite chewing gum known for its rainbow sticks, quick-fading fruit flavors, and temporary tattoos featuring mascot Yipes the Zebra. After multiple ownership changes, Ferrara Candy Company confirmed the gum’s discontinuation in 2024.
Fruit Stripe was an American chewing gum line famous for its rainbow stripes and mascot Yipes the Zebra. First introduced by Beech-Nut in 1969, it later passed through several owners before landing at Ferrara Candy Company. Packs often included temporary tattoos, and the brand’s five fruit flavors became a nostalgic touchstone—remembered lovingly for flavor that faded fast. Yipes became a household name in the early 1990s with catchy commercials and marketing. The mascot became so popular that the World Wildlife Federation partnered with Fruit Stripe to raise $100,000 through donations from every pack of gum purchased. Yipes was even elevated to game show fame by appearing as the answer to a Jeopardy! question in 2016.
Ferrara continued to ride the success of Fruit Stripe Gum in 2022, introducing Fruit Stripe Gummy Candy in three flavors - tangerine, lemon, and cherry. But consumer preferences changed in just a few short years. Ferrara chose to discontinue the Fruit Stripe brand in 2024, ending more than five decades of a pop-culture favorite.
Timeline
- 1969
Fruit Stripe debuts under Beech-Nut with striped sticks and fruit flavors.
- 1990s
Yipes the Zebra gains cult status, while temporary tattoos become a signature addition to every pack of gum
- 1996s
Fruit Stripe's association with animals leads to a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, raising about $100,000 for endangered animals through five-cent donations from gum purchases
- 2016s
Jeopardy! highlights Yipes the Zebra on the game show, asking contestants what kind of animal he was
- 2022s
Ferrera expands on Fruit Stripe popularity, introducing Fruit Stripe Gummy Candy in tangerine, lemon and cherry flavors
- 2024
Ferrara confirms it will discontinue Fruit Stripe after a portfolio review.