The History of the Chupa Chups Brand2 photos

Bernat, like several generations of his ancestors before him, owned a confectionery business in his hometown of Barcelona, Spain. His company was named Granja Asturias S.A. In 1958, this successful confectioner decided to conduct some market research to understand the preferences of his customers better. He entrusted this task to a French consulting firm and obtained interesting results: it turned out that the main consumers of his products were children under 16 years old, yet product development had always focused on adult tastes. Realizing the importance of this insight, Bernat was inspired to create a snack that would appeal not only to adults but especially to children.

The sweet snack designed specifically for children was also intended to solve the common problems associated with children and sweets—sticky fingers, dirty clothes, and chocolate-covered furniture. The idea behind Chupa Chups was simple yet genial: to present the treat in the form of a small stick, so that children could hold it easily. Later, the sticks were replaced by wooden and then plastic ones, giving rise to the famous lolly pops on sticks.

Since the lollies were shaped like little balls resembling footballs, the initial name “GOL” was chosen in Spanish, meaning “Goal.” However, the company owner preferred another name and it was eventually changed to “Chups,” derived from the Spanish word “chupar” meaning “to suck,” and then to “Chupa Chups.” In 1962, the name and brand were officially registered. The success of these lollies led to the change of the company name to Chupa Chups S.A. in 1964. Interestingly, the brand design, which remains largely unchanged to this day, was created by Salvador Dali.

In 1969, Enrique Bernat went to Figueras to meet with Dali and ask him to design the logo for Chupa Chups and help shape its visual identity. Dali agreed to do so, and within a few hours he created the iconic chrysanthemum-inspired logo. This design became the foundation of Chupa Chups’ successful advertising campaigns that helped the lollies become popular around the world. Thanks to their unique shape, attractive packaging, attention to consumer tastes (with over a hundred different flavors available), and the use of advanced production technologies, Chupa Chups are today the most recognized and beloved lollies in the world. The main production facilities of Chupa Chups are located in San Esteve Sesrovires, near Barcelona.

In July 2006, the Chupa Chups Group was acquired by Perfetti Van Melle S.p.A., becoming its flagship brand.