The brand Chupa Chups has decided to respond to long-standing online complaints about difficult-to-open wrappers in a way that perfectly combines humour and creative strategy. In collaboration with the agency BBH London, a limited edition “Chupa Chups Impossible” has been launched, a concept that paradoxically presents the hardest-to-open lollipop ever made in order to introduce a new wrapper that is easier to open.
The idea behind the campaign stems from numerous comments by consumers on social media who have for years pointed out how difficult it is to open the classic wrapper of this lollipop. Instead of simply presenting a new solution, the brand decided to further play with perception and create an extreme version of the problem. This led to the creation of the “Impossible” lollipop sealed in layers of industrially reinforced material.
Each lollipop is placed inside a carbon composite shell, additionally wrapped in aramid fibres, coated with silicon carbide and finally dipped in liquid rubber. The result is packaging that is resistant to blades, fire and almost any attempted improvisation, while the entire construction resembles more of a laboratory experiment than a product from the confectionery category.
However, inside this excessively engineered “armour” lies the real reason behind the campaign. Inside is the new Chupa Chups wrapper that is significantly easier to open, which has already begun appearing in key markets and is expected to be available globally by the end of the year.
To further amplify the campaign’s visibility, the brand sent “Impossible” lollipops to popular internet creators known for testing the durability of objects. Among them is the YouTube channel The Hydraulic Press Channel, known for crushing objects with a hydraulic press.
The campaign was also launched through a short film published on social media, often posted directly in the comments under users’ posts who had previously complained about the difficulty of opening the lollipops. In one such reply the brand wrote: “We have good and bad news,” thereby opening the story about the new solution. Additional audience engagement comes through the #ChupaSpeedChallenge, in which fans measure how quickly they can open the new wrapper and share their results online.
“We know the internet loves challenges and we are aware of the conversation about how difficult it is to open Chupa Chups,” said Roel Nouws, Chief Commercial Officer of the company. “Developing the new wrapper was not a quick fix. It required testing and careful development to ensure easier opening while still maintaining protection and product freshness.”
Creative director from BBH London, Felipe Serradourada Guimaraães, described the idea as an example of when a completely opposite approach is actually the most logical solution. “This is one of those stupidly brilliant ideas where you do exactly the opposite of what you should,” he said, adding that it is precisely the full commitment to the joke that makes the campaign special.
In this way Chupa Chups has turned a practical product improvement into a global digital stunt, demonstrating how a long-standing consumer frustration can be transformed into a creative communication platform.
