"Thanks to a Painter, Soaring in Popularity"... The Secret Behind Chupa Chups Becoming the World's No. 1 Lollipop [Delicious Story]

The World's First Lollipop: Chupa Chups
Logo Designed by Salvador Dal?
Global Exports Lead to Peak Popularity

Editor's NoteIt is said that the first confectionery was discovered in ancient Mesopotamian civilization. In other words, sweets have accompanied every moment of human history. From biscuits and chocolate to ice cream, we bring you delicious stories behind the treats we love.

Chupa Chups, the world’s leading lollipop company. The secret to Chupa Chups’ popularity is not just its taste. The colorful plastic wrapping and the uniquely bright yellow logo catch the eyes of consumers anytime and anywhere. The logo design, which has enjoyed the love of the public for more than half a century, is the work of Salvador Dali, the genius painter from Spain.

The Birth of the Lollipop

Chupa Chups candy and logo. Chupa Chups

Chupa Chups was born in Spain in 1958. The founder was Enric Bernat, who ran a candy factory. While operating a candy factory in the rural village of Pilo?a, Asturias, in northwestern Spain, he one day carefully observed children sucking on candy. At that time, candy was merely a large lump made by boiling down sugar syrup. Even after eating just a little, it quickly became sticky, and the children’s hands and clothes would be smeared with melted syrup.

Bernat, wondering if he could create a candy that was easier for children to eat, came up with the idea of a “lollipop”-a small candy ball with a wooden stick inserted. This was the moment the first lollipop was born. Inspired by the Spanish word “chupar” (to suck), he named his new product “Chupa Chups” and began selling Chupa Chups candy throughout Spain.

Logo Design by a Spanish Master Painter

The logo of Chupa Chups was designed by Salvador Dal?, the master of Spanish surrealism. Dal? in his later years. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

About ten years later, Chupa Chups had already become a popular product in Spain. Now, Bernat set his sights beyond Spain, toward Europe and the United States. However, he wanted an eye-catching packaging design that would instantly attract overseas consumers unfamiliar with lollipops. In 1969, one day while having coffee with a friend, Bernat shared this concern.

The friend listening to him at the time was Spain’s surrealist painter, Salvador Dali. As soon as Dali heard Bernat’s concern, he instantly devised the Chupa Chups logo. It was a simple design: the product name written boldly in the center of a yellow daisy flower. Dali advised Bernat, “Use the thickest possible letters for the product name so that it stands out, and make sure the logo is always placed at the very top of the candy when packaging.”

The "Lollipop Tower" with Chupa Chups stuck on it became even more dazzling thanks to the logo design devised by Dali. Screenshot from Etsy

Bernat faithfully followed Dali’s advice. Soon, the distinctive Chupa Chups logo and packaging design, which continue to this day, were completed, and Chupa Chups began to sell like hotcakes in dozens of countries around the world.

Chupa Chups Reaches Space

Chupa Chups advertisement commemorating the delivery to the Mir space station in 1995. Screenshot from an online community.

Dali’s brand strategy proved to be a perfect hit. Chupa Chups were sold in so-called “Lollipop Towers,” displays arranged like small flower beds on supermarket shelves, where the colorful wrappers and bright daisy-colored logos gathered together to draw even more attention. The Lollipop Tower remains a symbol of Chupa Chups to this day.

The popularity of Chupa Chups peaked in the 1990s. Stars who led the pop music scene at the time, such as Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, enjoyed Chupa Chups, and the candy was exported to about 190 countries. In 1995, Chupa Chups were even delivered to the Mir space station, which was developed through cooperation between the United States and Russia.