Let’s set the scene:
It’s the early 2000s. I’ve just walked into a shop like WHSmith or Woolworths. My eyes land on a display that radiates pink, glitter, and girl power energy. It’s Bubblegum — the brand. The aesthetic. The vibe.
Groovy Chick. Disco Diva. Sleepover Club energy.
And if you were lucky enough, you could become an official member of…
✨ The Bubblegum Club ✨
💌 The Bubblegum Club – What Was It?
Bubblegum wasn’t just stationery — it was a movement.
You had the pencil case, the notebooks, the bag (bonus points if it was pink and furry), and then one day — maybe via a sign-up form or a promotion in a magazine — you joined the club.
And suddenly you were a member of something fabulous. Something sparkly. Something SO much better than Brownies.
What did you get?
- A membership card 💳
- A birthday card every year 💌
- A vague sense of superiority because you were in the club and your brother wasn’t 💅
It didn’t matter that we didn’t do anything. We were in the Bubblegum Club. That was enough.
💖 The Girls
- Groovy Chick was the main character energy.
- Disco Diva had attitude and glitter.
- There were others too — sporty ones, fashion-y ones, artsy ones. It was a whole squad before squads were even a thing.
They had:
- Slogans like “Girls Rule” and “Funky Vibes Only.”
- Weirdly long legs and hair clips bigger than their heads.
- Lives that seemed to revolve around diaries, shopping, and telling boys to get lost. Iconic.
🧠 What I Remember (and Don’t)
To be honest, I don’t fully remember what the club sent me —
I just remember it felt special. Like I was a Cool Girl in Training. Like I was part of something cute and exclusive and very, very pink.
Looking back, it was honestly kind of brilliant marketing.
Like: “You know those notebooks you already begged your mum for? Let’s also send you mail and pretend it’s a club.” AND I FELL FOR IT. WITH JOY.
🧸 Bonus Memory: The McDonald’s Tie-In!
Also — can we talk about the time McDonald’s did Bubblegum Club Happy Meal toys? Because that actually happened and it was everything. They had little Groovy Chick figurines or accessories — and if you were really lucky, you’d get one that matched the notebook you had at home.
I remember absolutely losing it when I saw them on the poster in the restaurant window. My inner fashion icon needed every single one — for decorative purposes and also as a power move.
Some girls collected football cards. I was collecting pastel plastic girls with oversized handbags. And I regret nothing.
🎀 Daisy’s Corner: “I WAS Groovy Chick”
“I regret to inform you that I was the Bubblegum Club. I invented pink. I was the fashion.
Groovy Chick? That was just me on a Tuesday. Disco Diva? That was my stage name in Year 6.
Asten thought she was special for being in the club, but I ran it. I used to carry the membership card in my sock and flash it at teachers like I was MI6.
Honestly, we need a Bubblegum Club for adults now. Monthly stickers. Badges that say ‘Still Got It.’ A hotline where you can scream about people who didn’t return your gel pens.
Sign me up. I never cancelled my membership.”
💭 Final Thoughts
The Bubblegum Club didn’t need a mission or a purpose.
It just needed vibes.
And for a little while, it made 2000s girls feel like the main character — one birthday card and sparkly notebook at a time.
Long live Groovy Chick.
Long live the Bubblegum Club.
And long live our right to be cute and chaotic at the same time.
Asten Does Nostalgia 
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