The Chupa Chups lollipop was created in 1958 when Enric Bernat came up with the idea of placing a lolly on a stick in with mass production.
He called the product “GOL”, but needed something snappier. He hired an ad agency in 1963, and renamed the product “Chupa Chups” (from the Spanish chupar, meaning “to suck”) with a black and red logo.
But Bernat was dissatisfied. In 1969, he complained about his logo over a coffee with his artist friend, who happened to be a certain man named Salvador Dalí.
That’s right – Dali, of melting clock note – the Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill and the striking images in his work.
After his friend approached him for ideas, Dali doodled for an hour on newspaper he was reading. That’s all it took to create an instantly-recognisable design for a lollipop that has survived for decades.
The Chupa Chup logo over the years. Image: X
Chupa Chups’ strong branding by logo placement
But it wasn’t just the new logo – it was the considered placement that made the branding stand out.
Dali’s idea was to place the brand name inside a daisy. He changed the font to red and placed it on a solid yellow background. The flower is a nod to the traditional Spanish children’s song “Debajo de un botón,” which mentions a daisy.
And then he insisted that the logo be placed on top of the product.
This was a revolutionary move at the time, as most candy logos were hidden beneath the wrapper or on the side. By positioning the image prominently, Dali, with an evident eye for branding, ensured that Chupa Chups would be instantly recognisable, and that the logo would remain intact as the candy was unwrapped.
@thelollyshopcanberra Ok, who knew they are called Choopa Choops in their home country of Spain??? #choopachoops #TheLollyShopCanberra #cbrtok ♬ original sound – The Lolly Shop Canberra
The history of Chupa Chups
Today, founder Bernat is survived by his wife and five children, including Xavier Bernat, the president of Chupa Chups.
In 2018, the brand turned 60 and celebrated being one of the best-selling products in the world. It’s estimated that its daily production is 12 million units, reaching 150 countries in more than 100 flavours.
As one person on social media said, “It’s very cool to think that one of the greatest artists of the 20th century was also responsible for the visual identity of a candy brand.”
And that it has far exceeded the test of time.
As for how to pronounce ‘Chupa Chups’ – is it ‘Choopa Choops’ as the Americans say, or ‘Chuppah Chups’ as Aussies say – if only Dali had given us a hint in the logo!