Tootsie Roll
An enduring American chocolate-flavored taffy candy known for its individually wrapped pieces and long shelf life.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Tootsie Roll is a chocolate-flavored candy brand manufactured by Tootsie Roll Industries in the United States. Its signature confection occupies a distinctive place between caramel and taffy: it is chewy, dense, relatively resistant to melting, and traditionally sold as individually wrapped pieces. The product became notable as one of the earliest American penny candies to be individually wrapped, helping make it convenient for general-store sales, lunchboxes, theaters, Halloween distribution, and military or emergency rations. The brand is associated with Leo Hirschfield, an Austrian Jewish immigrant and confectioner who developed the candy in New York. Hirschfield had worked in the candy trade and is credited with completing the Tootsie Roll formula and texture in 1907. The candy was named after his daughter Clara, whose nickname was Tootsie. Commercial marketing began in 1908. Accounts of Hirschfield's early business career differ: some describe him as operating a Brooklyn candy business that later became connected with Stern & Saalberg, while other accounts place him directly within that company's factory and management structure. These differences do not alter the central history of the brand: Tootsie Roll emerged from New York's early twentieth-century candy industry and was commercialized through the company later known as Sweets Company of America. The brand's corporate fortunes changed substantially during the 1930s. Sweets Company of America experienced financial difficulty during the Depression, and Joseph Rubin & Sons, a major supplier of the company's paper boxes, acquired control. Bernard D. Rubin became president and reshaped the business by modifying the formula, increasing the candy's size, moving production from Manhattan to a larger Hoboken, New Jersey facility, and maintaining operations through wartime shortages. Under Rubin's leadership, the company restored profitability and expanded sales substantially. The business adopted the name Tootsie Roll Industries in 1966, reflecting the growing importance of its best-known product and a broader portfolio of confectionery brands. Tootsie Roll's identity has been reinforced by unusually durable advertising. The Captain Tootsie comic-strip campaign began in 1943 and presented a costumed candy hero and child companions in newspaper strips and comic books. The campaign ended as a regular advertising feature in the 1950s, but it remains an important example of branded character marketing in American confectionery history. A later television jingle, recorded in 1976 and built around the phrase “Whatever It Is I Think I See,” became strongly associated with Saturday-morning children's programming and was broadcast regularly for more than two decades. The core candy has been extended through related products and flavors. Tootsie Fruit Chews, introduced in the 1970s, brought fruit flavors and color-coded wrappers to the chewy-candy format. Tootsie Frooties broadened the fruit-chew range with numerous flavors, while Tootsie Rolls continue to be sold in individual pieces, rolls, bags, variety assortments, and seasonal formats. The company states that the original recipe uses a graining process involving some of the previous day's batch, a production tradition intended to maintain continuity in texture and flavor. In 2009, Tootsie Rolls received kosher certification from the Orthodox Union. Tootsie Roll is positioned as an affordable, familiar, nostalgic candy rather than a premium chocolate product. Its strongest associations are continuity, portability, recognizable packaging, and a chewy texture that differs from conventional chocolate bars. The brand remains active under Tootsie Roll Industries, whose portfolio also includes other established confectionery brands. Ellen Rubin Gordon, a member of the Rubin family that has controlled the company since the 1930s, serves as chairman and chief executive officer according to the cited reference material.
History
Tootsie Roll originated in New York's confectionery trade through Leo Hirschfield, an Austrian Jewish immigrant whose father was a candy maker. Hirschfield began working in the candy business in the 1890s and later held a senior role at Stern & Saalberg, a Manhattan confectionery company associated with Julius Stern and Jacob Saalberg. Historical accounts differ over whether he first operated an independent Brooklyn candy shop or joined the Stern & Saalberg factory directly, but he is consistently identified with the invention and development of Tootsie Rolls. Hirschfield completed the candy's characteristic texture in 1907, using a technique that produced a confection with qualities of both caramel and taffy. He named it after his daughter Clara, known as Tootsie. The product entered commercial markets in September 1908. Its individual wrapping made it unusually hygienic and portable for the period and helped establish it as a penny candy suitable for broad distribution. The company connected to the product changed its name to Sweets Company of America in 1917. Hirschfield left the company around 1920 and later established another candy business. The manufacturer entered severe financial difficulty during the Great Depression. In 1935, Joseph Rubin & Sons, which supplied the company's paper boxes, acquired control to protect an important customer and investment. Bernard D. Rubin became president. He changed the product formula, enlarged the candy, moved production from Manhattan to a larger Hoboken plant, and managed the business through wartime shortages of sugar, packaging materials, and other inputs. These measures restored the company's financial position and generated a major increase in sales. After Bernard Rubin's death in 1948, his brother William B. Rubin served as president until 1962, when control passed to William's daughter Ellen Rubin Gordon. Advertising became an important part of the brand's cultural reach. In 1943, Tootsie Roll introduced Captain Tootsie, a comic-strip advertising character created by C. C. Beck, Pete Costanza, and later Bill Schreider. The character appeared in color Sunday strips, black-and-white daily strips, and comic books, generally in stories aimed at children. Regular Captain Tootsie advertising ended in the 1950s. In 1976, the company recorded a television jingle centered on the transformation of an unspecified object into a Tootsie Roll. The commercial ran frequently during children's programming for more than twenty years and became one of the brand's most recognizable advertising assets. The Tootsie Roll product line expanded beyond the original cocoa-flavored candy. Tootsie Fruit Chews appeared in the 1970s in fruit flavors distinguished by colored wrappers. Later Tootsie Frooties offered a larger range of fruit flavors, including strawberry, grape, green apple, banana berry, fruit punch, pink lemonade, root beer, watermelon, blueberry, and mango. Seasonal and variety assortments added further combinations. The company has also described a continuing graining practice in which some of the previous day's batch is incorporated into the next batch, preserving continuity in the traditional product. Tootsie Roll Industries adopted its current name in 1966 and continues to manufacture the brand from its Chicago-based business. The product remains an active mass-market candy sold through retail, seasonal, concession, and variety-pack channels. Its durable brand equity comes from recognizable packaging, a distinctive chew, low price, individual wrapping, and associations with American childhood and nostalgia.
- 2009
Kosher certification
[1]Tootsie Rolls received Orthodox Union kosher certification.
- 1976
Signature television jingle recorded
[1]The brand recorded the advertising song later associated with children's television programming.
- 1970
Tootsie Fruit Chews introduced
[1]The company expanded the brand into colored, fruit-flavored chewy candies during the 1970s.
- 1966
Tootsie Roll Industries name adopted
[1]The manufacturer changed its corporate name to Tootsie Roll Industries.
- 1962
Ellen Rubin Gordon assumes control
[1]Ellen Rubin Gordon succeeded her father William B. Rubin in leading the family-controlled business.
- 1943
Captain Tootsie campaign begins
[1]The brand introduced a long-running comic-strip advertising character.
- 1935
Rubin family gains control
[1]Joseph Rubin & Sons acquired the troubled company, with Bernard D. Rubin becoming president.
- 1917
Manufacturer becomes Sweets Company of America
[1]The company associated with the brand adopted the Sweets Company of America name.
- 1908
Commercial launch
[1]Tootsie Rolls were marketed commercially beginning in September.
- 1907
Tootsie Roll formula completed
[1]Hirschfield developed the chewy chocolate-flavored candy and its characteristic texture.
Products and positioning
Affordable, mass-market, classic and nostalgic American candy with a distinctive chocolate-flavored chewy texture.
Chocolate-flavored chewy candy · 1907
Original Tootsie Roll
The flagship product is a dense, chocolate-flavored confection with a texture between caramel and taffy. It is commonly sold as individually wrapped pieces, rolls, bags, miniatures, and seasonal assortments. Its resistance to melting and long shelf stability helped make it suitable for convenience retail, candy counters, children's treats, Halloween distribution, and other high-volume occasions.
Fruit-flavored chewy candy · 1970
Tootsie Fruit Chews
Introduced during the 1970s, Tootsie Fruit Chews extend the brand's chewy format into fruit flavors. Traditional varieties include cherry, orange, vanilla, lemon, and lime, with wrapper colors used to distinguish flavors. Variety and seasonal assortments have added combinations such as green apple, blue raspberry, grape, sour cherry, and sour apple.
Fruit-flavored candy
Tootsie Frooties
Tootsie Frooties are small fruit-flavored candies offered in a broad range of flavors. Reported varieties include strawberry, blue raspberry, grape, green apple, banana berry, fruit punch, pink lemonade, root beer, cranberry, blueberry, watermelon, and mango. The product broadens the Tootsie portfolio beyond the original cocoa profile while retaining an individually portioned format.
Controversies
2020
Ninth Circuit rejects fee request in Tootsie Roll slack-fill case
The Ninth Circuit rejected the plaintiff’s request for attorneys’ fees in litigation alleging that Tootsie Roll misled consumers through excess empty space in Junior Mints and Sugar Babies boxes. The court found that Tootsie Roll’s labeling changes were not the primary relief the plaintiff had sought.
Marketing campaigns
- 1976Whatever It Is I Think I See
United States
A television jingle built around the line “Whatever it is I think I see becomes a Tootsie Roll to me” was recorded in New York and used prominently during children's programming, especially Saturday-morning cartoons.
Outcome. The commercial ran regularly for more than two decades and became one of the brand's most recognizable audio signatures.
- 1943Captain Tootsie
United States
Captain Tootsie was a comic-strip advertising property featuring a costumed hero, Rollo, and several child characters. It appeared in newspaper strips and two comic books, using child-oriented adventure stories to associate the candy with strength, energy, and fun. Regular advertising appearances ended in the 1950s.
Outcome. The campaign became a notable example of character-based candy advertising and remains part of the brand's historical identity.
Brand decisions
2009
Orthodox Union kosher certificationOtherBackground
The company sought formal certification for the U.S. product.
Action taken
Tootsie Rolls received kosher certification from the Orthodox Union.
Aftermath
The certification expanded the product's documented suitability for kosher consumers.
1966
Corporate rebranding as Tootsie Roll IndustriesStrategyBackground
Tootsie Roll had become the company's best-known product and a central part of its market identity.
Action taken
The manufacturer changed its corporate name from Sweets Company of America to Tootsie Roll Industries.
Aftermath
The corporate name aligned the company more closely with its flagship brand while it continued developing a broader confectionery portfolio.
1935
Rubin family acquisition of the manufacturerM&ABackground
The candy company was in serious financial difficulty during the Depression, creating risk for its paper-box supplier, Joseph Rubin & Sons.
Action taken
Joseph Rubin & Sons acquired control, and Bernard D. Rubin took over as president.
Aftermath
The new leadership changed the formula, increased the candy's size, relocated production to Hoboken, and restored profitability.
Recent events
Ninth Circuit rejects fee request in Tootsie Roll slack-fill case[2]
The Ninth Circuit rejected the plaintiff’s request for attorneys’ fees in litigation alleging that Tootsie Roll misled consumers through excess empty space in Junior Mints and Sugar Babies boxes. The court found that Tootsie Roll’s labeling changes were not the primary relief the plaintiff had sought.
Sources2 sources
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