Troll dolls were invented by Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam in 1959. Dam created his first Trolls as a way to provide affordable playthings for his daughter and once her friends saw them, word spread. Within a few years, Trolls became a worldwide sensation and they would continue to be one through the 1960’s. The worldwide Troll craze would eventually die down but in the early 1990’s enthusiasm for Trolls would come back bigger than ever. The 1990’s saw all sorts of licensed tie-ins and products featuring the colorfully-haired Troll folk.
One of those 1990’s products was a Troll-shaped gummi candy from the Trolli company.
Thomas Dam and his creation – Trolls – 1960’s
It seems like a partnership destined to be for the Trolli company to be the one to produce a gummi candy based on Trolls, and I’m sure it played into how the deal came together.
Here’s a look at a candy industry trade ad from the period highlighting the fun of Trolls and Trolli’s gummi candies based on them:
Mederer – Trolli – Gummi Trolls – candy trade magazine ad – June 1993
I’m fortunate to have one of the those Gummi Trolls packages in my collection and here it is:
Mederer – Trolli – Gummi Trolls – 2 oz candy package – 1993
These days the Trolli company is part of Ferrara USA and though Gummi Trolls haven’t been around in a generation, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a return. Just last year, DreamWorks Animation acquired the rights to Trolls and it seems they have big plans for the property, so we might one day see the return of Trolls in gummi form.
For now, that’s everything I’ve got on this confectionery treat from out of the 1990’s – Trolli’s Gummi Trolls. See you next time!
I used to love these, the supermarket near my grandparents house sold these in bulk out of a barrel. I’ve always been on the look out for them since growing up since I liked them so much but have never found them again, now I know why.
I really hope they start making them again although the likelihood of them using the same recipe is remote. The last Trolli product I ate, their watermelon sharks, was just awful.
These were the best candies growing up. 5 cents at Izzys candy store in Brooklyn. The closest Ive gotten to these today are the Trollis Evil Twins Gummies.