Chupa Chups breaks out of the lollipop aisle with ‘Funshine’ campaign

Chupa Chups has expanded into Australia’s lollies category with ‘Free the Funshine’, a national campaign developed by The Idea Shed and Havas Media Australia. The campaign supports the launch of three new products: Sour Bites, Ocean Fun and Puffies.

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The range is available through Coles and independent retailers nationwide. It marks an effort to extend Chupa Chups beyond the lollipops for which the confectionery brand is best known.

Campaign spans media, social and retail

The Idea Shed led creative commerce for the Perfetti Van Melle brand, while Havas Media Australia developed the communications strategy. The campaign spans audio, video, out-of-home, social media, digital platforms and retail environments.

A national Nova Entertainment partnership sits at the centre of the media plan. It features a ‘Funshine’ jingle created by The Idea Shed, with the audio work also running through Coles Radio to reach shoppers closer to purchase.

The campaign will also appear across broadcast and subscription video-on-demand services, YouTube and large-format out-of-home placements. Social content invites consumers to share their own ‘Funshine’ moments.

Retail activity includes Coles integrations, oversized Chupa Chups installations and activations at Westfield centres. The campaign also uses sampling to encourage trial of the new range.

Building recognition in a new category

Chupa Chups said consumer research informed the campaign’s focus on small moments of family connection. The creative platform presents ‘Funshine’ as a burst of colour and energy linked to shared experiences.

Amelia Goldsmith, Brand Manager, Chupa Chups Australia and New Zealand, said the launch offered a chance to bring the brand’s established identity into another part of the confectionery aisle.

“‘Free the Funshine’ shows how our new lollies range can make everyday family moments more colourful, playful and joyful. By connecting the campaign across media, retail and sampling, we’re focused on building awareness and encouraging families to try the range,” Goldsmith said.

John Volckman, Partner and Executive Creative Director at The Idea Shed, said the campaign aimed to establish Chupa Chups as a credible participant in the lollies category.

“This wasn’t about outshouting the category on fun; it was about redefining it. ‘Free the Funshine’ transforms Chupa Chups from a familiar brand into a credible player in a new space by tapping into the role lollies play in shared family moments,” Volckman said.

Kate O’Ryan-Roeder, CEO of Havas Media Network ANZ, said the media plan linked broad awareness activity with retail channels.

“Our approach was designed to connect Chupa Chups with families across high-attention environments while creating a seamless path from awareness to trial through retail media, audio, video and out-of-home channels,” O’Ryan-Roeder said.