Haribo brings a taste of childhood to The Moodie Davitt Report for National Gummi Bear Day

Confectionery house Haribo is celebrating National Gummi Bear Day (27 April) with a striking makeover of The Moodie Davitt Report desktop homepage, along with an elegantly curated treatment on our mobile website. 

The Haribo Goldbears range is the star of the show – now in its 103rd year, the classic gummi bear has played a central role in Haribo’s rise as a confectionery favourite. 

First established in 2021 between Haribo and the National Day Calendar, 27 April is officially recognised as National Gummi Bear Day, underlining Haribo Goldbears’ global popularity. 

Haribo currently has more than 1,000 products in its portfolio, but the brand is best known for its colourful gummi bears – one of the first products created by Founder Hans Riegel. Now available in over 100 countries, Haribo Goldbears remain a key growth driver in travel retail. 

Creating a ‘precious family heirloom’

The Haribo story began in 1922, when Bonn-based candy maker Hans Riegel developed a sweet fruit gum treat at home in his kitchen. Inspired by the popular 19th-century fairground attraction, he created Dancing Bears – or Tanzbären – as the earlier ancestor of the Goldbears. 

At that time, the Dancing Bears were made of Arabic gum and the characters were a little larger and slimmer than today’s Goldbears. Throughout their history, the bright colours and fruity flavours have been central to the DNA of Haribo fruit gummi bears. 

In the 1960s, Haribo introduced a slightly smaller, rounder iteration of its Goldbears. The packaging was also adapted to the changing times. Since 1961, the presentation of Haribo Goldbears expanded from individual bears to a family of bears, all together in a bag. 

Packaging elements such as the gold foil and the viewing window set design standards in the 1960s that are still characteristic for the brand today, the company said. Since 1999, all Haribo Goldbears have carried the line’s signature smile. 

Approximately 160 million Haribo Goldbears are produced every day. From the Dancing Bear to their current form – the product has remained true to its core mission to ‘taste like childhood’. 

Hans Riegel’s legacy is carried on by the still family-owned business. His grandson, Haribo Managing Partner Hans Guido Riegel commented: “The Goldbears are our most precious family heirloom. My grandfather invented them, and it is the task of all subsequent generations to nurture this legacy and develop it further with such care that it will continue to bring joy to people all over the world for decades to come.”