A Tootsie Pop[1] (also called a Tootsie Roll Pop, and known in Latin America as a Tutsi Chupa Pop[2]) is a hard candy lollipop filled with a chocolate-flavored chewy Tootsie Roll candy. They were invented in 1931 by an employee of The Sweets Company of America. Tootsie Rolls had themselves been invented in 1896 by Leo Hirschfield.[3] The company changed its name to Tootsie Roll Industries in 1969. The candy made its debut in 1931 and since then various flavors have been introduced. The idea came to be when a man who worked at The Sweets Company of America licked his daughter's lollipop at the same time he was chewing his Tootsie Roll. He loved the idea and pitched it to everyone at the next snack ideas meeting.
In 2002, 60 million Tootsie Rolls and 20 million Tootsie Pops were produced every day.[4]
Commercials
Tootsie Pops are known for the catchphrase "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?" The phrase was first introduced in an animated commercial which debuted on US television in 1969.[5] In the original television ad created by Eugene Azzam of W.B. Doner of Detroit, MI, a questioning boy (voiced by Buddy Foster) poses the question to a cow (voiced by Frank Nelson), a fox (voiced by Paul Frees), a turtle (voiced by Ralph James), and an owl (voiced by Paul Winchell). Each one of the first three animals tells the kid to ask someone else, explaining that they would bite a Tootsie Pop every time they lick one. Eventually, he asks the owl, who offers to investigate. He starts licking the orange Tootsie Pop, but bites into it after only three licks. ("A-one, a two-hoo, three... (CRUNCH!) Three!") The child walks away, saying to himself, "If there's anything I can't stand, it's a smart owl."[6][7] The commercial ends the same way, with various flavored Tootsie Pops unwrapped and being "licked away" until being crunched in the center with Herschel Bernardi asking, "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie pop? The world may never know."[8]
Rumors and set attempts
Redeemable wrappers
At some point, a rumor began that the lollipop wrappers which bore three unbroken circles were redeemable for free candy or even free items like shirts and other goods. The rumor was untrue, but some shops have honored the wrapper offer over the years, allowing people to "win" a free pop.
Some stores redeemed lollipop wrappers with the "shooting star" (bearing an image of a child dressed as a Native American aiming a bow and arrow at a star) for a free lolipop. This was clearly up to the store owner and not driven by the lollipop manufacturer.[13] One convenience store[14] in Iowa City, Iowa, for example, gave candy away when the children asked. Also, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Osco Drug used to give children free lollipops for star wrappers. In 1994, the owner of Dan's Shortstop told a reporter that when he first opened children came by often, but after a while, he said he had to stop giving things away. Giveaways also occurred in Chico, California, where a 7-Eleven store manager in the Pleasant Valley area, said she had to stop because it had become too expensive.
Flavors
Standard
- Cherry
- Chocolate
- Grape
- Orange
- Red Raspberry
Tropical Stormz
- Citrus Punch
- Berry Berry Punch
- Lemon/Lime
- Orange/Pineapple
- Tangerine
- Tropical Punch
- Fruit Punch
- Pineapple
"Wild Berry" assortment
Sister products
- Tootsie Rolls – the original Tootsie candy on which Tootsie Pops were based
- Tootsie Pop Drops – Smaller Tootsie Pops candy without the stick, made to be portable and often sold in a pocket package.[22]
- Pop Drops Assortment: Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Chocolate, Orange, and Grape
- Candy Cane Pop Drops (seasonal)
- Caramel Apple Pops – flat lollipop of apple-flavored hard candy, coated with a chewy caramel layer
- Caramel Apple Pops (original flavor: Green Apple a.k.a. Granny Smith)
- Caramel Apple Orchard Pops (three flavors: Red Macintosh, Green Apple, Golden Delicious)
- Charms Blow Pops – Tootsie Pops with bubble gum in the center, instead of a Tootsie Roll
- Charms Blow Pops Assortment: Cherry, Sour Apple, Grape, Watermelon, Strawberry, Blue Raspberry
- Super Blow Pops
See also
External links
References
- Welcome to Tootsie – Product Information – Tootsie Pops: Original Tootsie.com, 2010-05-22, retrieved 2010-11-29^
- FindLaw's United States Fifth Circuit case and opinions. Findlaw^
- Tootsie Roll Industries - Company History retrieved 2022-09-25^