A meatball lollipop and the art of making the internet stop scrolling

What do a Swedish meatball and a lollipop have in common? Until recently, not very much. Then IKEA and Chupa Chups got together, and suddenly the internet had opinions. 

The collaboration – a limited-edition lollipop combining the flavours of a Swedish meatball and lingonberry – launched on April Fool’s Day 2026 and became, by some measures, the number one most-shared April Fool’s campaign in the world this year. It was tasted by visitors at Milan Design Week, spotted selling for over €100 on secondary markets, and sent creators across TikTok reaching for their cameras to film themselves trying something they were not sure was real. 

But behind the absurdity was a deliberate strategy, and a lesson in what it means to build a brand that people actually want to talk about. 

A brand that has been in your hands since childhood 

Chupa Chups is present in more than 150 markets and has been part of the childhood of people around the world for decades. But as Martin explains, it was never just a candy on a stick. 

“It’s a brand that carries nostalgia and emotional connection,” he says. “It gives us the possibility to span across categories – lollipops, gummies, bubblegum, sodas – and continue building that relationship with consumers as they grow into different stages of their lives.” 

Leaning into the joke (and learning from it) 

Chupa Chups’ wrappers have long been notoriously difficult to open. For years, it was the brand’s most-discussed trait online. Rather than ignoring it, Chupa Chups built a campaign around it. 

“We identified this via social listening as our most iconic brand truth,” Martin says. “So, we created an overengineered, impossible-to-open lollipop, sent it to creators across the globe, and invited them to try to crack into it. The internet went wild.” 

The campaign, which was running at the time of recording, went on to win two D&AD Pencils, a first for Perfetti Van Melle. Martin announced the news live during the conversation. 

It is a playbook IKEA recognises. As Dani notes, the most-googled thing about IKEA is how to find a product in the store. Rather than pretending that is not true, IKEA has used it for April Fools campaigns, and as the basis for real improvements like in-store navigation tools. 

“The insights you get from consumer experience can be translated into campaigns that connect meaningfully,” Martin says. “But they can also be used to actually improve the experience. Social listening is not just for marketing.” 

The collaboration that asked: what if a meatball was a lollipop? 

The IKEA x Chupa Chups meatball lollipop began as a licensing conversation, the kind of partnership where a brand lends its name to another product. But when Martin joined the first meeting, he saw something bigger. 

“I said sorry, but this needs to be a brand collaboration,” he explains. “The moment I felt it was creating that stir, I knew it was the direction.” 

The flavour development was no small task. Chupa Chups’ R&D team, with over 100 flavours in production globally, went back to an IKEA restaurant to eat meatballs and work out how to translate the experience into confectionery. The final product captures not just the meatball but the whole Swedish experience: savory, with a lingonberry sweetness running through it. 

“It’s the weirdness that sparks interest,” Martin says. “And then the relief when you finally take the leap of courage to try it.” 

Launching on April Fool’s Day was intentional. The team knew people would initially assume it was a joke and used that moment to let the story breathe before revealing it was real. The campaign ranked number one in share of voice among the top ten most-shared April Fool’s campaigns globally. And it did so largely without paid media. 

“We had a solid strategy, but the earned media potential was a strong component,” Martin says. “The two brands combined already had a massive audience. Media outlets picked it up beyond what we had expected.” 

From Milan to IKEA stores worldwide 

The lollipop had its public debut at Milan Design Week in 2025, where visitors were among the first to taste it. Reaction was overwhelmingly positive, and the scarcity meant some lollipops were reportedly reselling online for over €100. 

From June 2026, the lollipop became available in more than 300 IKEA stores across around 30 countries. 

What brands can learn from a meatball lollipop 

Martin is honest about the moments of doubt – his own, his leadership, and likely IKEA’s too. Things that push you off your edge, he says, are often the things that give your brand the most benefit. 

“We are competing for attention,” he says. “The amount of content people are subjected to every day means we’re developing almost a cognitive protection to survive the clutter. For you to really make noise, you need to do things that make people stop and say: that’s different. A meatball lollipop is definitely something you haven’t seen before.” 

His advice to other brands thinking about collaboration: understand your brand, understand your consumers, and then find something that sits at the intersection of familiar and completely unexpected. “If the idea gives you a bit of butterflies in your stomach,” he says, “there’s probably something nice to it.”

About the Podcast 

Screw It is a podcast from Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, exploring the art of assembly in business, sustainability, and life at home. The series invites global experts and leaders to discuss how we piece together better homes and societies – even when life looks nothing like the manual. From a company that wants people to sit comfortably, but recognises that progress is often uncomfortable, Screw It ditches the corporate script to embrace the wonderful mess of building a better future. 

About Ingka Group 

With IKEA retail operations in 32 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents 87% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on Ingka.com. 

Screw It episode 6 – Conversation transcript 

Dani: Welcome to Screw It. Today we have with us Martin Höfling, the Global Marketing Manager for Chupa Chups, the famous lollipop company. He’s going to be taking us through the magic of the brand and the famous IKEA x Chupa Chups meatball lollipop collaboration. It’s a pleasure to have you here. Thank you so much for the invitation. 

Martin: It’s my pleasure. Looking forward to this conversation today. 

Dani: I have a first and most important question that we’ve all been asking ourselves, and you have to help us answer this. How do you say the name of the brand? 

Martin: I think it depends on where you are. In many markets people will say “choo-pa chups”, and they’re now finding out that the right name is actually Chupa Chups – because it’s originally a Spanish brand, and it comes from the Spanish “chupa”. So, Chupa Chups is the right way. But we accept, however, you’d like to kindly call us, because at the end of the day, that’s the spirit: to develop an emotional connection with everyone, regardless of how you say our name. As long as you love us and you try. 

Dani: So, when you want to have some fun and you are the Global Marketing Manager for such a creative and beloved lollipop brand in the world, tell us – what is it like to market this brand? 

Martin: It’s a dream come true. When I was initiating my career maybe 20 years ago, I thought about where I was going to be and what I’d be doing. And then to have the chance to continue building on this brand’s legacy and make sure that people still know what Chupa Chups is doing and all the categories we’re entering – it fills me with joy. It makes me want to keep growing and connecting with different people every day. I’ve been in this role now for about one year, but I have already worked for Perfetti Van Melle for eight years. And so far, we’ve been doing some really nice campaigns, including the collaboration with IKEA, which I’m most proud of. 

Dani: You mentioned it’s not just a candy on a stick – it’s a global brand icon that people recognise right away. So, the innovation isn’t really about the product itself, but about the human insight and what you do with it? 

Martin: Absolutely. We’re present in more than 150 markets across the globe. We’ve been part of the childhood of most people. We started as a lollipop brand – a very simple idea, but one that gives you joy. And then we developed over the years to expand across multiple categories. Currently, particularly in Asia but also in Europe, we sell gummies, which is one of the fastest-growing segments in confectionery. We also sell bubblegum, and our brand is licensed to other categories including sodas. It is a brand that carries a nostalgic feel, an emotional connection, and gives us the possibility to continue building that relationship with consumers as they grow into different stages of their lives. 

Dani: Am I right in hearing that there’s a connection between your brand and Salvador Dalí? 

Martin: It is widely known that Salvador Dalí had a pivotal role. He was a colleague of the founder of the company, and while rumours are that he was one of the people to sketch our logo on a napkin during a bar conversation, what we do know is that the daisy shape has gone through multiple iterations but remained iconically what it is today. That’s a reason of pride for us. That rebellious spirit came from the early days, and we’ve carried it forward – art and lifestyle have always been an area of interest for us. 

Dani: We’re very similar brands, even though we sell very different things. And one of the really interesting parts is this balancing act about what you produce and what it means. For IKEA, we use a lot of wood and many other materials – and we’re always working on that balance. How do you deal with the balancing act of having a brand built on sweet indulgence in a world where consumers are increasingly health-conscious? 

Martin: It’s a fair thing to say. We do believe that consumers will continue seeking moments of indulgence, moments of fun where they can relax and say – I deserve this. So, there’s a space for it. On the back of that, we’re trying more and more to become a brand and company that’s conscious of those trends, and we’re working – across Chupa Chups and other brands in our portfolio – to cater for the conscious consumer. We will always stay close to category trends and bring novelties and innovations that cater to specific needs. 

Dani: When you mentioned childhood nostalgia – my son’s favourite time of day is when he comes home and has his Chupa Chups. He holds it with such excitement, like it’s the best gift he’s ever had. You can’t underestimate the emotion it creates. I’ve also noticed that you run into things that are funny about the brand, and you don’t hide from them. If the wrapper is hard to open, you make jokes about it. Tell us a little bit about that strategy. 

Martin: Chupa Chups has a history of many firsts. We were the first brand to send a product to space. We’re an irreverent brand – we’ve partnered with Michael Jackson, the Spice Girls. We’ve never shied away from being on the frontier of culture. When we talk about being part of culture, a big part of strategy is understanding people, understanding what they care about, and what their relationship is with the brand. And then intensifying that further. The historical difficulty in opening Chupa Chups wrappers was identified via social listening as our most iconic brand truth. Everyone knows Chupa Chups are hard to open – or used to be, by the way. We went through a rigorous process to make the packaging easier, and then we wanted to launch it in a way that wasn’t boring. So, we created an overengineered, impossible-to-open lollipop, sent them to creators across the globe, and invited people to try to crack into it. The internet went wild. And I’m actually very excited to announce that just this morning we found out we won not one, but two D&AD Pencils for this campaign. The first time ever for Perfetti Van Melle. 

Dani: Congratulations! And we are very happy that you’re sharing that with us. What’s so interesting is that you did a lot of social listening, you ran into the joke, but you also learned from it and tested a better way of doing things. We do the same – the most googled thing around IKEA is how to find an item. So, we’ve made jokes around it, but we’re also using ways to make it easier for people, like GPS tracking in stores. You’re running into the jokes, but you’re also learning from them. 

Martin: The insights you get from consumer experience can be translated into campaigns that connect meaningfully – but they can also be used to actually improve the overall experience. These days, social media gives us a direct connection that didn’t exist before. We can only benefit from that. 

Dani: Let’s talk about the collaboration now. We celebrated the 40th anniversary of the IKEA meatball – a big day for us. Tell us how the collaboration came about. 

Martin: It was an amazing, and honestly very natural experience. It started when IKEA approached us via our licensing team, which typically handles partnership projects. But when I joined one of the first meetings and saw the potential, I said – sorry, but this needs to be a brand collaboration. So, I jumped into it and with colleagues Marcus and Michael we started talking about what it could look like. It evolved from an initial idea that everyone knew would make people say: how is that going to look? How is it going to taste? And when I felt that it was really creating a stir, I knew that was the direction. Because if something creates the conversation and leverages the brands the way you want – there’s magic in it. 

Dani: Let’s talk about the taste. People want to know. I’ve tasted it and it tastes just like meatball – but it’s actually nice. How did you make a meatball-flavoured lollipop? 

Martin: We have a very knowledgeable R&D team that has been doing lollipops for many years. We’re proud to have over 100 flavours available globally. When we got the brief, we immediately sat down with the team. The next day they were calling me saying – Martin, we’re going to the store to sit down, eat the meatballs again and work out how to do it. They connected with one of our key flavour house partners and worked through the routes. It took some back and forth for leadership to confirm we were hitting the right spot, but we were all very excited with the final result. It’s not only meatball – it’s a celebration of the entire Swedish meatball experience, with the lingonberry right there next to it. You have that savoury surprise that is very unexpected in a candy, and then the sweet note around it. That’s exactly what’s sparking so much interest. 

Dani: What do you think about doing it on April Fool’s Day? Was that the right moment? 

Martin: Absolutely. We put something in front of people that they would definitely think was not real – and then let them come back to say, actually, that was real. It gave us room to breathe on the communication and really capitalise on a cultural moment where the eyeballs were already there. April Fool’s has been growing in cultural relevance. We were happy to lean into that day. And of course, it felt like a reveal – as if the product came out because people really wanted it. Of course, it was engineered. But we’re very happy that people perceived it that way. This was among the top ten most-discussed April Fool’s stories globally, and number one in terms of share of voice. 

Dani: Marketers will be very interested in this. I understand there wasn’t a huge paid component behind this either? 

Martin: That’s correct. We had a solid strategy, but a strong component was the earned media potential – and we always knew that. We had some creators involved around the April Fool’s moment, but that was limited compared to what was created organically through the announcement videos and the initial social posts across the IKEA and Chupa Chups channels globally. The two brands combined already had a massive audience. And then media outlets picked it up. The numbers were way beyond our expectations in terms of the channels globally that gave space to this campaign. 

Dani: People want to know – when and where can they get their hands on more lollipops? 

Martin: The pre-launch was at Milan Design Week, which I was lucky enough to attend. The reaction of people trying the lollipops for the first time was overwhelming – the positive sentiment was something else. Some people were scared to try, but the feedback was always positive. And there was a secondary market that developed online almost immediately, with some pops spotted selling for over €100 because of the scarcity. From June, in around 30 countries and more than 300 IKEA stores, people will be able to experience this lollipop themselves. 

Dani: If you could summarise – what has been the most remarkable part of doing this collaboration with IKEA? 

Martin: It felt very organic and natural. If you want to do a meatball on a stick, it has to be a lollipop. But what I could not anticipate was how much people would engage and appreciate what we were doing. The most remarkable thing is really how this set the internet on fire – and how people organically wanted to communicate and share about it. If you search Chupa Chups and IKEA on TikTok, the volume of videos people have made just wanting to talk about it is extraordinary. We definitely hit our goals for the first half of the campaign. 

Dani: Two last questions. Would you do it again? 

Martin: We’re always open to new explorations. But you need to do something different – that’s also what it means to be relevant. You need to hit the sweet spot between being different enough for people to pay attention, and familiar enough not to scare them away. So, if you want to do something similar again, you should do it – but always with something new, something that gives that punch again. 

Dani: And last but not least – what would you say to other brands that might be interested in trying something new but feel it’s a bit risky? 

Martin: I’m not going to be naive and tell you I knew this was going to be a success. I had moments of doubt. So did my leadership. And I’m sure IKEA leadership did too. But the things that push you off your edge are the things that will give you the most benefit. We are in a war for attention. The amount of content people are subjected to every day is so high that we’re almost developing a cognitive protection to survive the clutter. For you to really stand out, you need to do things that make people stop and say – that’s different. A meatball lollipop is definitely something you have not seen before. When you bring two brands people already cherish and love, and put them together in a completely unexpected way, you cannot miss it. So, my advice: don’t be afraid of calculated risks. Understand your brand and your consumers. Craft something that is at the same time innovative but also edgy enough to give that punch. If the idea gives you a bit of butterflies in your stomach, there’s probably something nice to it. Start small and grow as you go. The brands that will stand out are the ones that go beyond the traditional day-to-day work. 

Dani: Fantastic advice, Martin. Congratulations again to you, the Chupa Chups teams, and the IKEA commercial PR team, including Michael and Marcus. Fantastic job. We look forward to seeing these in stores, and it’s been a pleasure learning and speaking with you today. 

Martin: Thank you so much for having me. It was a pleasure to be here and talk about this campaign. Looking forward to what’s next.