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 famous Spanish brand that makes candies, especially lollipops. You can find their treats in more than 150 countries around the world!

The company was started in 1958 by a person named Enric Bernat. Today, it is owned by a large 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". This makes sense because lollipops are candies you suck!

The Story of Chupa Chups

How the Company Started

In the early 1950s, Enric Bernat created a company called Productos Bernat. This company made different kinds of candies. In 1954, Bernat started working for a factory that made apple jam.

By 1958, he owned the entire factory. He then changed its name to Chupa Chups in 1961. He designed machines to make his new candy. It was a striped candy on a wooden stick, which later changed to a plastic stick. To make sure his company was successful, he bought the rights to similar candies in Spain in 1959.

A giant Chupa Chups lollipop for sale

Growing Around the World

In 1967, Chupa Chups opened a new factory in Barcelona, Spain. Ten years later, in 1977, Chupa Chups lollipops arrived in Japan.

During the 1980s, the company grew even more. Chupa Chups began selling its lollipops in the United States, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the United Kingdom. In the 1990s, they expanded into China and Mexico.

New Leadership and Ownership

In 1991, Enric Bernat gave control of the company to his children. They were Xavier, Ramón, Marcos, Marta, and Nina. A new brand called Smint was also started in 1994.

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

How Chupa Chups Became Famous

The Famous Logo

The well-known Chupa Chups logo was created in 1969 by a famous artist named Salvador Dalí. The first slogan for the candy was "Es redondo y dura mucho, Chupa Chups". This means "It's round and long-lasting" in Spanish.

Later, famous people like Madonna helped advertise the lollipops.

Chupa Chups in Pop Culture

In the 1973 TV show Kojak, the actor Telly Savalas was often seen eating these lollipops. This helped make them even more popular.

In the 1990s, Chupa Chups started giving lollipops to FC Barcelona's football manager, Johan Cruyff. He would suck on them during games because he had to stop smoking. When he passed away in 2016, fans left lollipops at his memorial.

Chupa Chups also sponsored a video game called Zool in 1992. Their logo was clearly shown in the first level of the game, which was called "Sweet World".

In 1995, Chupa Chups made history by becoming the first candy sent to the Mir space station!

Special Products and Partnerships

In 1997, Chupa Chups launched a special line of Spice Girls lollipops. These came with collectible stickers, toy microphones, and bubblegum with temporary tattoos. They also released "Push Pops" and "Crazy Dips".

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

Since 2010, Chupa Chups lollipops have been a special treat at Marriott's Springhill Suites hotels. Guests could get them for free at the front desk. However, by August 2021, the hotels started to move away from offering Chupa Chups as a signature item.

Chupa Chups Products

Chupa Chups makes many different kinds of products. Their most famous product is, of course, the lollipop!

Chupa Chups offers more than 100 flavors of lollipops around the world. This includes options that are sugar-free. 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