Issue 03

If you have ever visited Barcelona, you might be familiar with Happy Pills, a clever, medicinal themed candy store with six locations in the city (soon launching in Madrid). The Happy Pills motto is both quirky and catchy suggesting candy is “the radical solution to all of life’s woes.”  Love sick? Work problems? Friendship damaged?

Step into a Happy Pills shop for a bottle, pill dispenser or emergency kit filled with self-selected, brightly coloured candy to ail your woes.  Launched in 2007, the clean, white design of the Happy Pills’ store is far from medical, a brand allusion seen throughout its identity and packaging.  Rather, its interior offers shoppers a dose of humour as they assemble their “remedy” of choice.  When asked why people love candy so much, Imma Duenas, Creative Director of Happy Pills shares “It’s the fact that people associate candy with childhood, and for an adult, eating candy is like being a bit naughty.”

I don’t know about you, but every time I visit Happy Pills, I  walk out with my own ‘pill mix’ of candies that never make it to the plane.  Thankfully, Happy Pills has plans to expand around the world including the candy capital, of Stockholm (not officially or anything, but in my books the Swedes make a lot of great candy).

INTERVIEW: Imma Duenas, Creative Director of Happy Pills {Barcelona}

01 How many Happy Pills stores are there?
We are based in Barcelona. We have six shops, next month we are opening in Madrid and Palma de Mallorca.  Next up, international franchises in New York, London, Paris and Stockholm.

02 What is so unique about Happy Pills?
Our concept is all about humor and design.  For us, the quality and the image of our products has to be the best and we treat our clients like they are in a luxury shop. We are happy when our clients notice that we care and we want them to have a “happy experience” in our shops.

03  What is your favourite candy?
The little pills made for us in white and pink. We call them pinduletas

04 What type of candy are people most surprised to see when they walk into a Happy Pills shop?
People aren’t surprised because of a particular candy. When they walk in, they are surprised by how we arrange the pots with different color combinations- they are hand made.

05 Why do people love candy so much?
We think it has to be with the fact that people associate candy with childhood, and for an adult, it is like being a bit naughty eating candy.

Photo Source: Happy Pills

Happy Pills Locations: Barcelona, Bilbao, Zaragoza….. keep em coming!