No April Fools’ joke after all: Ikea and Chupa Chups team up for a meatball lollipop

It started as an April Fools’ joke, but now it’s a reality: Ikea and Chupa Chups are offering a limited-edition lollipop flavored like Swedish meatballs in hundreds of stores worldwide.

“Celebrating a love of food”

Chupa Chups has succeeded in developing a treat reminiscent of the famous Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce. One million lollipops will soon be distributed across Ikea stores worldwide. But they aren’t for sale: customers can sample the lollipop for free when they visit Ikea in June.

“On April 1, we invited people to imagine a lollipop flavored like Ikea’s Swedish meatballs. Because this idea was received with such enthusiasm, we just had to do something with it,” says Javier Quiñones, Commercial Manager at Ingka Group, the largest Ikea retailer, which operates in 32 countries. “Together with Chupa Chups, we’re now bringing a playful version of that idea to life. It’s a fun way to celebrate our love of food and to show that even a simple joke can become reality—something that brings people together in a surprising way.”

The collaboration fits perfectly with the theme IKEA is focusing on this year: cooking and the role food plays in sharing special moments together. Note that the lollipops will not be available in Sweden, Japan, India, Serbia, Romania, and Slovenia.