Wrigley is a chewing gum manufacturer founded in 1891. They’re famous for their peppermint gum, advertised for its “double” flavor introduced in 1914.
The company loved to capitalize on the word “double” and introduced the Doublemint twins in 1939. Initially, they were drawings Wrigley included in magazine and newspaper advertisements. From 1959 they cast and used real twins in their print ads and commercials. There have been many of the years, so let’s meet some of the Doublemint Twins.
Jayne and Joan Knoerzer: The First Real Doublemint Twins
Jayne and Joan Knoerzer (Jayne and Joan Boyd professionally after their mother’s maiden name) were the first Doublemint Twins. They were singers who had no real interest in acting who signed a contract with Wrigley in 1959. They were the first twins in history to appear on television!
Wrigley put their musical background to work and let them cut a 1/3 EP record called “Double Your Pleasure.” The song is the official Doublemint theme song!
Wrigley put the two in ads showing them doing things like riding bikes, playing tennis, and other fun activities together. Strangely, the company wouldn’t let them chew gum in the ads.
They spent every moment of their life, promoting the gum and made great money doing so. They lived in a beautiful apartment and bought a mink coat for their mother.
They lost the gig when Joan became pregnant in 1963 as they were no longer identical twins. Not much is known about the two today. They both got married, and Jayne now lives in Beverly Hills, California.
Terrie and Jennie Frankel Toured Vietnam
The Knoerzer’s replacements were Chicago Natives Terrie and Jennie Frankel. Like their predecessors, they were great musicians who often performed for patients. They signed on with Wrigley in 1963 at the age of 13.
You probably also recognize them singing the “Double your pleasure, Double your fun” jingle written by the Arthur Meyerhoff Ad company.
When they turned eighteen, they auditioned for the USO and resigned their role as the Doublemint Twins. Over the next few years, they performed for the troops in Vietnam, Hawaii, and various other locations.
Both went on to have very successful careers in Hollywood. Terrie was a screenwriter, producer, and composer who served on the boards of numerous prestigious institutes. Jennie and Terrie got David Letterman his first gig writing for The Tonight Show and wrote Dr. Phil’s first pilot. They also wrote many successful movies over the years.
Later in life, they become New York Times best-selling authors. Jennie passed away in 2008, and Terrie currently resides in Sedona, Arizona.
The Mackrell Twins Spoke for Many Brands
June and Patricia Mackrell were signed to be the Toni Twins, another brand that used twins in their marketing. They loved asking which twin has a perm in their ad campaigns. Soon, Wrigley came along and poached them in the 1970s. They were a more iconic brand that could have been a stepping stone to more prestigious work.
There’s not much information on what the Macrkell Twins did later in life. After they left the gig as the Doublemint Twins, they faded into obscurity.
Doublemint Twins to Modeling In Playboy
Patricia and Priscilla Barnstable got their start as Doublemint Twins. Their father was Dale Barnstable, an NBA famous for being banned for life in 1951 for point shaving. They were extremely popular and parlayed to acting in the short-lived TV show, Quark.
What they are most famous for was modeling in Playboy later in their career.
Today, they are known for their massive Kentucky Derby Gala that they throw almost every year.
Some Doublemint Twins Parodied Themselves
After Dian and Denise Gallup became Doublemint Twins, they benefited from the prestige of being the spokespersons for the iconic gum brand. They acted in small roles on shows like The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, and Who’s The Boss.
These two are most known for parodying the Wrigley gig in the Mel Brooks movie Spaceballs. In one scene, President Skroob, played by Mel Brooks, orders the twins to chew their gum, in reference to their earlier job.
Leela from Futurama’s Sisters Were Doublemint Twins
Liz and Jean Sagal, the sisters of Katey Sagal of Married….With Children and Futurama fame, were cast for the role in the 1980s. Their role was short-lived, but they used it as a stepping-stone to act in their own TV show, “Double Trouble.”
Later on, Liz acted in the movie Howard the Duck and enjoyed a successful career as a TV writer on shows like Sons of Anarchy, which started her sister Katey and was created by her brother-in-law Kurt Sutter.
Linda and Lisa Yokubinas Were The Longest Running Doublemint Twins
Some of the most recognizable twins were Linda and Lisa Yokubinas. From small beginnings in small-town Illinois, they were cast in 1985 to bring Doublemint into the new era. This partnership was extremely beneficial for the two, as it ended up as a career for them. They became stars over the next six-decade.
Over ten years, they started in six commercials for the iconic gum. You might remember the one where they lost their hats next to a swimming pool. Six commercials don’t seem like a lot, but they were earning up to $30,000 in residual checks for a period based just only on reruns.
Another perk of the gig was the travel. What could be better than shooting commercials around the world with your best friend?
Ten years of playing twins created issues down the road for them. When they no longer worked as the Doublemint Twins, casting directors typecast them as twins. With no work, except together, the twins began to resent each other.
They didn’t speak for many years but have since mended their fences.
Future Sweet Valley High Stars
After the Yokubinas long reign came to an end, Brittany and Cynthia Daniel became the Double Mint twins. They were the first set of twins to be fraternal, not identical. Their reign was shorter than their predecessors, as they landed a sweet job as the stars of Sweet Valley High a year later.
After the show ended a few years later, Cynthia Daniel retired from acting to become a photographer. The one exception was a cameo on That 80s Show, which featured her sister at the time.
Brittany continued acting and had a successful career for the next decade. Some notable rows were Carmen in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Kelly Pits in The Game.
The Mowry Sisters
You probably recognize Tia and Tamera Mowry from their hit show, “Sister, Sister.” They were Doublemint Twins during the 1990s. Some mistakenly believe that they were the first black Wrigley spokespersons, but that distinction goes to Sharon Sansaverino and Sheryl Valenti in the 1980s.
The Mowry sisters had arguably the most successful post-Doublemint acting careers. There are too many to list here, but there’s a fun connection to Brittany Daniel. Tia Mowry also starred in the TV show, The Game.
Modern Doublemint Twins
After a long break, Wrigley decided to bring back the Double Mint Twins for the modern era. In 2005, Nicole and Natalie Gara landed the job. Their ads mostly consisted of wearing vintage clothes and singing songs about enjoying the simple things as a stark contrast to modern life.
The Garza Twins were the last to be featured by Wrigley, which has scaled back its gum advertising over the last decade. The concept has staying power, so this might not be the last we see of the Doublemint Twins.
