Not a fan of Chupa Chups, but I do like Dalí
The other night, I watched a movie and found out Salvador Dalí designed the Chupa Chups logo. That’s right - melting clocks one day, candy branding the next. Naturally, I had questions. How did one of the most eccentric artists of all time end up working on a lollipop? And more importantly, what can we learn from it?
Dalí & the Logo: A Stroke of Genius or Just Another Gig?
In 1969, Chupa Chups hired Salvador Dalí to design their logo. The result? A simple, hand-drawn daisy that sat perfectly on top of the wrapper - practical, memorable, and (let’s be honest) very un-Dalíesque. Was this brilliance in disguise, or just a well-paid afternoon’s work? I’d love to believe the former, but let’s be real.
That said, the placement of the logo was a smart, intentional choice. Unlike most branding that gets lost in packaging, this one sits right on top of the lollipop. No matter how much you unwrap, the logo stays visible. A small but clever detail that modern brands could take notes from: design for how people interact with the product, not just for how it looks on a screen.
Image: www.logodesignlove.com
Then vs. Now: What Changed?
Despite a few redesigns, the core of the logo remains: the daisy shape, the typography, and the bright, nostalgic colors. It still has that old-school candy shop charm. The updates? Subtle lines, slight modernizations, nothing drastic. I guess when you inherit a Dalí design, you don’t mess with it too much.
Rebranding That Actually Worked.
Rebrands usually go one of two ways: unnecessary minimalism or chaotic overdesign. Chupa Chups avoided both. The team that modernized the logo had big shoes to fill, and they nailed it. They kept what worked, updated what needed updating, and - most impressively - resisted the urge to "fix" something that wasn’t broken.
So, does the Chupa Chups logo scream Dalí? Not really. But it does scream smart, timeless branding. And in the end, maybe that’s its own kind of surrealism.
(Btw, Waiting for Dalí is a very cute movie for a weeknight.)
