The History of the Gummy Bear!

Have you ever wondered where those chewy, flavorful, yummy Gummy Bears came from?  Gummy Bears have been around for a long time and as the world’s most popular gelatin-based snack, it doesn’t look like they’re going away any time soon. Here’s a brief history:

Inspired by the dancing bears and the teddy bear, in 1922 Hans Riegel, founder of HARIBO, created his first bear-shaped sweet, which thus became the forefather of the Goldbear that was later to achieve international fame.

Its original form was the “Dancing Bear”, which the children of the twenties could still meet at fairs everywhere in its natural form. The fruit-gum Dancing Bear was larger than today’s Goldbear, but also slimmer.

During the years of the German ‘Economic Miracle’, things were looking up for HARIBO too. The initial difficulties had been overcome and the company was flourishing. Whereas previously HARIBO sweets had been sold in decorative tins or loose in cardboard boxes, now cellophane bags were appearing on the shelves.

And it is now that we find the first HARIBO product in this new packaging that had not previously existed in this form. The successor to the legendary Dancing Bear, the HARIBO Goldbear, was a fruit-gum product that in the next few decades was to cause a sensation in the business and among consumers…

Once HARIBO realized how successful the new product was, the company hurried to ensure that the Goldbear also received an official birth certificate. After several years of waiting, the bear was officially recognized as a registered trade mark in 1967.

The Goldbear has changed: His colours are somewhat paler, since his appearance is now determined by extracts from natural fruits and plants. However, this hasn’t damaged his popularity. On the contrary, the Goldbear has become a “cult object”. The yellow Goldbear now appears on the packaging wearing a red bow tie, thus taking a further step towards becoming an unmistakable brand.

Check out all of our gummy products on our website, www.SweetCityCandy.com.  And yes, we carry Haribo’s Goldbear product in many forms – mini bags, theater boxes and bulk!