Chupa Chups facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chupa Chups, S.A.U.

Type	Sociedad Anónima
Industry	Confectionery
Fate	Acquired by Perfetti Van Melle in 2006
Predecessor	Granja Asturias, S.A.U (1958–1964)
Founded	Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Barcelona, Spain (1958; 67 years ago (1958))
Founder	Enric Bernat
Headquarters	Barcelona , Spain
Key people	Xavier Bernat (CEO)
Products	Lollipops
Revenue	€500 million (2006)
Number of employees	2,000 (2006)
Parent	Perfetti Van Melle

Chupa Chups is a super famous brand of lollipops and sweets. You can find their yummy treats in over 150 countries all around the world! A clever person named Enric Bernat started the company way back in 1958. Today, it's owned by a big company called Perfetti Van Melle, which is from Italy and the Netherlands. The name "Chupa Chups" comes from the Spanish word chupar, which means "to suck." That makes perfect sense for a lollipop!

History of Chupa Chups

In the early 1950s, Enric Bernat had a company that made sweets. In 1954, he started working for an apple jam factory. By 1958, he owned the factory completely. He then changed its name to Chupa Chups in 1961.

Enric Bernat created machines to make his new lollipops. At first, they were striped sweets on a wooden stick. Later, the sticks were changed to plastic. To make sure his product was unique in Spain, he bought the rights to similar sweets in 1959.

A giant Chupa Chups lollipop for sale

In 1967, the company opened a new factory in Barcelona, Spain. This helped them make even more lollipops!

Chupa Chups started to become popular worldwide. In 1977, the lollipops arrived in Japan. During the 1980s, they expanded to the United States, Germany, Italy, and Russia. In the 1990s, Chupa Chups also reached China and Mexico.

In 1991, Enric Bernat handed over control of the company to his children. In 1994, they even started a new brand called Smint.

Finally, in July 2006, the entire Chupa Chups company was bought by the Italian-Dutch group Perfetti Van Melle.

How Chupa Chups Became Famous

The Iconic Logo

Did you know that the famous Chupa Chups logo was designed in 1969 by a super famous artist? It was created by Salvador Dalí, who was known for his amazing and sometimes strange art called surrealism.

The first slogan for Chupa Chups was "Es redondo y dura mucho, Chupa Chups." This means "It's round and long-lasting" in Spanish. Later, big stars like Madonna helped advertise the lollipops.

Chupa Chups in Pop Culture

In the 1973 TV show Kojak, the main actor, Telly Savalas, was often seen enjoying Chupa Chups lollipops. This made them even more popular!

In the 1980s, Chupa Chups tried a slogan to attract adults: "Smoke Chupa Chups." Today, their anti-smoking message is "Stop smoking, start sucking." Some Chupa Chups packages even look like cigarette packs, but with a funny message: "Sucking does not kill."

Chupa Chups also sponsored the 1992 video game Zool. Their logo was clearly visible in the game's first level, which was called "Sweet World."

In 1995, Chupa Chups made history! It was the very first candy ever sent to the Mir space station. Imagine eating a lollipop in space!

In 1997, Chupa Chups teamed up with the Spice Girls. They released special lollipops with collectible stickers. They also had toy microphones and bubblegum packets with temporary tattoos.

Between 2000 and 2003, Chupa Chups was the main sponsor for the English football team Sheffield Wednesday. Their logo was on the team's shirts!

From 2010 onwards, Chupa Chups was a special treat at Marriott's Springhill Suites hotels. Guests could get a free Chupa Chups lollipop at the front desk.

Chupa Chups Products

Chupa Chups makes many different kinds of sweets. Their most popular product is, of course, the classic lollipop!

Chupa Chups has over 100 different flavors available around the world. They even have sugar-free options! Each lollipop is sealed to keep it fresh. The best way to open them is by twisting the bottom of the wrapper.

See also

In Spanish: Chupa Chups para niños