Chupa Chups' Melody Pops Refocus

Chupa Chups is a product of great ideas.

In the late 50s, a Spanish innovator, Enric Bernat, conceived a revolutionary idea based on a simple observation - sweets were problematic for their primary consumers, children. This insight led to an ingenious solution, a 'sweet on a stick', a neat way to avoid sticky fingers and the ire of parents. Thus, the lollipop was born, demonstrating a masterful blend of innovation and marketing acumen. By introducing seven novel flavors, Bernat was able to meet diverse taste preferences, reinforcing his brand’s ingenuity.

Originally christened 'GOL' due to the resemblance of the candy to a soccer ball and the mouth to a goal, the branding fell short of expectations. This stumble didn't deter the visionary Bernat, who quickly learned and pivoted to a new name in 1960. 'CHUPS' was derived from the Spanish verb 'chupar', meaning "to suck." This change was supplemented by a catchy jingle that effectively echoed the brand's name, cleverly etching it into consumers' minds. The jingle went like this:

Chupa un dulce rameoe, chupa chupa chupa un CHUPS.

Google Translate says that translates in English to - "Suck on a sweet rameoe, Suck Suck Suck on a CHUPS." Suck Chups...? I am down with that. I still don't know what a 'rameoe' is though.

Chupa Chups further demonstrated marketing brilliance by involving famed surrealist artist Salvador Dali in their branding endeavors in 1969. Dali's vibrant sketch of a daisy, which artfully integrated the Chupa Chups name, became the company's new logo. Dali's savvy suggestion to position the logo on the top of the lollipop for constant visibility demonstrated a unique understanding of branding, ensuring the Chupa Chups name was always in plain sight.

This story is not just about a man inventing a new kind of candy, but also about the genius of effective marketing, brand positioning, and the ability to adapt and execute innovative ideas. Chupa Chups is a testament to the power of creative problem-solving and strategic branding.

Refocused Innovation in the Age of AI

So taking inspiration from the Chupa Chups past, what if the brand was on your plate to explore? I want to share one possibility - ChatGPT and exploring a refocus on their discontinued line - Melody Pops.

When you engage with ChatGPT, converse with it as though you were having a human-to-human conversation.

Do you know about the Chupa Chups Melody Pops? The candy sucker that was also a slide whistle?

In the affirmative, CGPT not only knew of the brand, but gave back a clear history of both the product line and the brand the brand that produced it. This is important. If it is unclear on things, or lacks insights around what you are working with, it needs to be brought up to speed. Here is just a little of CGPT's feedback thus far on the Melody Pops:

"This unique lollipop is not only a piece of candy, but it can also function as a small musical instrument...You could "play" the Melody Pop by sliding a small stick attached to the lollipop up and down, which in turn moves an inner piece of the lollipop to produce different pitches, much like a slide whistle."

I let CGPT know that the Melody Pops had been discontinued in 2015, then I got down to business.

Imagine you are a candy creator with a vivid imagination - and you have been tasked with coming up with version 2.0 for the Melody Pops. What are you first round ideas that improve on the original idea?

Why first round ideas? Because this is a brainstorming session. We are integrating AI into a conversation. While a team of creatives could certainly hash out early round concepts quickly - imagine if that same team of creatives were to utilize AI to conceptualize ideas, multiplying their speed and effectiveness. CGPT's response to my querry, delivered the following:

What a fun challenge! Here are some ideas for a Melody Pops 2.0, incorporating advancements in technology and consumer trends:

1. Multi-Flavor Melody Pops: These lollipops can change flavor as you eat them, adding an element of surprise and extending the enjoyment. We could use encapsulation technology to create layers of different flavors that reveal themselves as the lollipop is consumed.
2. Interactive Melody Pops: Incorporate a small, safe digital component into the stick of the lollipop. This could connect via Bluetooth to a mobile app where kids could learn to play simple tunes, share their Melody Pop music creations, and even compete in friendly contests.
3. Eco-Friendly Melody Pops: In response to growing environmental concerns, the new Melody Pops could use biodegradable or compostable wrappers and sticks. The slide whistle component could also be designed for re-use with refill pops.
4. Educational Melody Pops: Each pop could come with a small fact sheet or code to unlock digital content related to music theory, making the eating experience not only fun but also educational.
5. Personalizable Melody Pops: Offering personalization options like choosing your flavor combo, color, and even engraving your name on the whistle slide. This would make it a great option for party favors or gifts.
6. Themed Melody Pops: Collaborating with popular children's entertainment franchises to create themed Melody Pops could generate excitement. For instance, superhero-themed Melody Pops that play the character's theme tune, or fantasy-themed ones that play magical sounds.
7. Nutritious Melody Pops: With the rising trend of health-conscious consumers, introducing a version made with natural ingredients, less sugar, or added vitamins might attract parents who are cautious about their children's sugar consumption.
8. Melody Pop Duets: A larger version of the lollipop designed for two people to use at once, promoting sharing and teamwork.

Remember, while these ideas may sound exciting, the feasibility, cost, and safety of these improvements need to be considered and tested during the actual product development process.

We need not stop with our first request to CGPT. In the same way a creative session of brainstorming brings out some pretty wild notions, CGPT can provide the same. When CGPT provides an answer - you can have it review its answer and provide better insights.

Go back to your first round ideas. How might you improve on that list of 8? Which are not that strong you might replace?

Certainly! Let's revisit the original eight ideas and consider some modifications.

1. Multi-Flavor Melody Pops: This idea is interesting as it adds an element of surprise. However, instead of flavors changing randomly, they could correspond to different musical notes. This way, as children play different notes, they experience different flavors.
2. Interactive Melody Pops: While this idea has merit, perhaps it could be refined to be more accessible. Instead of requiring a smartphone, the whistle could have a range of tones, and the packaging could include a simple sheet music for a popular tune that can be played by moving the whistle slide in a certain sequence.
3. Eco-Friendly Melody Pops: This is a strong idea considering the increasing demand for sustainable products. No change suggested here.
4. Educational Melody Pops: This is also a beneficial idea, as it adds an educational aspect to the product. Instead of focusing only on music theory, we could expand it to include fun facts about different musical instruments or famous musicians.
5. Personalizable Melody Pops: This could be improved by making the personalization interactive. The company's website could allow children to create their own wrapper design along with the personalization of their name on the whistle slide.
6. Themed Melody Pops: This is a good idea, but licensing could be a hurdle. To make it more feasible, we could focus on generic themes like seasons, holidays, or nature.
7. Nutritious Melody Pops: As with the eco-friendly pops, this idea is strong considering current trends towards healthier foods. One potential enhancement could be to offer vegan or allergen-free options.
8. Melody Pop Duets: This idea seems a bit complex and could potentially lead to issues with sharing, hygiene, etc. An alternative could be a "Melody Pop Band Set", where each pop in a set plays a different note, and children can play them together like a small band.

Remember, the feasibility of these ideas would still need to be evaluated in terms of production cost, safety, and market demand.

This is just 2 rounds of exploring with Chat-GPT, and already I have some ideas to work with. Not a real project, but you can see how to implement AI into your creative workflow for brainstorming ideas. Just for perspective - It took me longer to write the first paragraph of this post, than to work through 2 rounds with Chat-GPT.

A.I. Explore with Brian Sykes