A lollipop with a chewy surprise in the middle wasn't new by the 1970s. What Charms added with the Blow Pop was a second sweet entirely — a bubblegum centre you could keep going with long after the candy shell was gone.
A Philadelphia candy company's two-stage idea
Charms was founded in Philadelphia in 1912 by Robert Cohen, and built its name on straightforward hard candy: boiled sweets, sour balls, and pops. The Blow Pop, introduced in the 1970s, took the basic hard-candy lollipop format and built in a second act — a soft bubblegum piece at the centre, positioned so you'd reach it just as the candy ran out.
It was a simple change, but it turned a one-note sweet into two: suck the shell, then chew and blow the gum underneath. That combination is still the entire pitch of the product today.
Not to be confused with a Tootsie Pop
Blow Pop and Tootsie Pop get mixed up constantly, largely because they look similar and both come from companies now under the same corporate roof. The difference is the centre. A Tootsie Pop's centre is a piece of chewy Tootsie Roll-style candy — no gum, no bubbles. A Blow Pop's centre is genuine bubblegum. If you can blow a bubble with what's left in your mouth, you're eating a Blow Pop.
Charms joins Tootsie Roll
Charms operated independently for most of the 20th century before Tootsie Roll Industries acquired the company in 1988. The Blow Pop continued under Tootsie Roll's ownership alongside other Charms lines, including Charms Sour Balls and Charms Blow Pop's own spin-off, Charms Blow Pop Minis — the two brands' histories now permanently linked, even though the pops themselves stayed distinct.
- 1912 — Robert Cohen founds Charms in Philadelphia.
- 1970s — Charms introduces the Blow Pop, a hard candy lollipop with a bubblegum centre.
- 1988 — Tootsie Roll Industries acquires Charms.
You'll find Blow Pop alongside other US originals in our American candy collection.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes Blow Pop?
Charms, founded in Philadelphia in 1912 by Robert Cohen, and part of Tootsie Roll Industries since 1988.
What's the difference between a Blow Pop and a Tootsie Pop?
The centre: Blow Pop has soft bubblegum, Tootsie Pop has chewy Tootsie Roll-style candy with no gum.
What flavours does Blow Pop come in?
Long-running flavours include cherry, watermelon, sour apple, blue raspberry and grape, all with the same bubblegum centre.