Chappies facts for kids
Framed Chappie "Did You Know" wrapper.
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| Type | Bubblegum |
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| Owner | Cadbury (1989), Mondelez International |
| Country | South Africa |
| Introduced | late-1940s |
| Markets | South Africa, Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Tagline | Unwrap an Adventure |
Chappies is a super popular bubblegum brand from South Africa. It first came out in the late 1940s. One of the coolest things about Chappies is the "Did You Know?" facts printed inside every wrapper! Because of these fun facts, Chappies has been South Africa's top-selling bubblegum for over 50 years. About 2.5 billion pieces are sold every year!
Contents
The Story of Chappies
Chappies bubblegum was created by Arthur Ginsberg. He was the marketing boss at Chapelat Sweet Factory in Johannesburg. The name "Chappies" even came from the factory's name!
Arthur Ginsberg wanted Chappies to compete with another popular bubblegum called Wicks. Chappies was a great deal: you could get two pieces for a penny, while Wicks was one piece for a penny.
Chappies Flavors
When Chappies first started, it had five flavors. These were lemon, orange, strawberry, cherry, and pineapple. Today, about 70 years later, you can find different flavors. These include spearmint, assorted fruit, watermelon, grape, and cool cherry.
Chappies Around the World
By the late 1970s, Chappies was not just in South Africa. It had become popular in other countries too. You could find it in Zambia, the Congo area, and Zimbabwe (which was called Rhodesia back then). Chappies was so popular that it held 90% of the bubblegum market in South Africa!
Who Owns Chappies Now?
The Chappies brand was sold to Cadbury in 1989. Today, Cadbury is part of a bigger company called Mondelēz International.
Why Chappies is So Popular
Chappies is so famous that its name is often used instead of the word "bubblegum." This happened for a few reasons. Sometimes, shopkeepers would give Chappies as change instead of coins. Also, the fun "Did You Know?" facts inside the wrappers made it extra special.
The Look of Chappies
The original Chappies wrapper has always been yellow with red and blue stripes. This striped wrapper, along with the bright square pieces of gum, the logo, and the cartoon chipmunk character, are all famous parts of the Chappies brand. These designs have even been used in special collaborations with other brands and even in a music video!
Chappies Fun Facts
The "Did You Know?" facts were added to Chappies to make the bubblegum more exciting for kids.
Where the Facts Came From
The very first "Did You Know?" facts came from a radio show. It was a popular quiz program called "Test The Team" on Springbok Radio. The facts were provided by three smart people known as the "Three Wise Men."
Later, Chappies asked smart people from Wits University to help. They came up with huge lists of interesting facts. It's estimated that there are about 5,000 different Chappies facts!
A New Look for Chappies
In 2008, Chappies decided to update its look. A marketing company helped redesign the packaging. They also updated the Chappies Chipmunk mascot. He was made to look younger and no longer needed his walking cane. Even with the changes, he was still easy to recognize!
In 2012, Chappies gave fans a chance to be part of the fun. They could send in their own "Did You Know?" facts! Over 50,000 facts were submitted online. After checking them, 170 new facts were chosen. These facts, along with cool drawings, were printed on millions of Chappies wrappers.
The people whose facts were chosen received a year's supply of Chappies. They also got a special framed wrapper with their very own fact on it!
Art Made of Bubblegum
Chappies even launched a super cool "Edible Street Art" campaign. They took six facts sent in by fans and turned them into amazing artworks. These artworks were made out of thousands of real Chappies bubblegum pieces! The biggest mural used 177,681 pieces of Chappies and took 15 hours to build. But it only took 15 minutes for people to help take it apart and enjoy the gum!
