Wrigley gums is on the road this summer promoting its new title as the official chews of choice for the National Basketball Association.

The league’s Jam Van mobile tour presented by Wrigley will make stops in 12 markets around the country. At each location, fans will find basketball-themed activities, including a video arcade and a chance to match shoe sizes with NBA stars. Samples of Wrigley chewing gum will be handed out to fans.

Stops include Cleveland, OH, Washington, DC, Wilmington, DE, Chicago, New York, Miami, Indianapolis, St. Paul, MN and Dallas and San Antonio, TX. The tour ends in September.

Wrigley has five brands under the deal-- Doublemint, Spearmint, Juicy Fruit, Big Red and Winterfresh—with plans to develop NBA-themed platforms for each brand. A regular season marketing push will focus on a young, multi-cultural demographic, the company said.

“For years, chewing Wrigley’s has been as commonplace among NBA players as the crossover dribble,” said Mark Tatum, NBA senior vice president of marketing partnerships, in a statement.

Wrigley is also partnering with the New Jersey Nets as presenting sponsor of off-season Nets Overtime events this summer. That partnership will continue through the 2007-08 season with Wrigley branding in the Nets’ home arena.

For more coverage on event marketing

For more coverage on sampling