It was just one of many (many) April Fool’s marketing stunts doing the rounds this year, thanks in great part to our new AI overlords. Along with Heinz Matcha Mayonnaise, Grill’d Burger Massage Oils and Bunnings Vegemite paint tin pranks, the internet shuddered a collective ‘eww’ at the sight of IKEA’s meatball-flavoured Chupa Chup. “Good one,” we all said. “April Fool’s.” And then we went on with our lives. 

But IKEA, for some reason, is unwilling to let this particularly nauseating idea go. Not satisfied with merely being the world’s single greatest cause of all furniture-assembly-related arguments, the Swedish flat-pack giant has decided to turn the joke into a reality. And Chupa Chups has agreed to play along. Because only Chupa Chups would look at a meatball and think, “Hmm. Needs more stick.”

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Is the IKEA meatball Chupa Chup real?

‘Fraid so. IKEA and Chupa Chups have teamed up to develop a 100 percent real, limited-edition meatball-flavoured lollipop, which will be served in hundreds of IKEA stores around the world this June, including right here in Australia. (Hot tip: there are no IKEA stores in Brazil, if you’re thinking of planning a getaway this winter.)

According to a company statement, Chupa Chups has created ‘a playful sweet that’s inspired by the flavours and feeling of the iconic Swedish meatball and its lingonberry [jam] companion’. Sorry, could someone pass me a bucket? 

In total, one million lollipops will be produced and distributed to IKEA stores around the world. But they won’t be for sale. Instead, customers will have the chance to taste them for free while visiting IKEA stores this June. 

It makes the thought of assembling a HASVIK sliding wardrobe seem almost tempting in comparison. 

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