The Chupa Chups company started as an idea of a Spanish citizen named Enric
Bernat in 1958. Mr. Bernat started his career at an apple jam factory. He approached
investors about a lollipop business but he failed to get support. He took over the
company himself and built the first production machines with his own hands. He also
decided that the new creation would be called Chupa Chups, after the Spanish verb
chupar, which translates into to suck.
Enric Bernat knew that the bon-bons on a wooden stick would be an instant hit.
Previously candy had been marketed as a luxury and kept away from children.
However, he knew that if he could get the candy into the view of children he would
sell many more lollipops. Five years after he first introduced the idea, Chupa Chups
were being sold at over 300,000 stores across Europe.
The original Chupa Chups sales force was over 600 sales agents for 300,000
locations.
This amazing sales force sped across Europe to bring the good news and delicious
taste of the Chupa Chups lollipops to the masses. Without their dedication and
excitement, there would be no way the company could have grown to the massive
size that it is today.
Sadly, the traditional wooden stick that was associated with Chupa Chups had to be
discontinued and replaced with a plastic one due to the lack of wood available in
Spain. The stick has remained plastic ever since. Chupa Chups were originally going
to be called GOL but the name did not stick.
An advertising firm came up with the idea to name them Chupa and the delightful
lollipops were born. Salvador Dali, the famous painter, created the new Chupa Chups
logo, which remains on the wrapper on all of the lollipops to this day.
The Chupa Chups business went international beginning with Asia and Australia in
the 1970’s. It soon followed to North America and the rest of Europe. The amazing
results led to a high point for the company, with the production of over 4 billion
Chupa Chups lollipops during the 2003 calendar year.