Kalles turns 70 – he is the face of the tube

The Swedish classic Kalles turns 70!
The motif on the caviar tube represents Sweden’s most famous Kalle.
– I think it’s very, very funny, says Carl Almen in Efter fem.

The history of Kalles starts in the 50s. It was then that the company Abba bought the recipe for smoked caviar and started production. Early tastings showed that children were particularly fond of the slightly milder caviar taste. The company’s advertising agency therefore suggests that a child adorn the cover of the tube. The CEO of Abba at the time is Carl Almen’s father, and that is the story of how a 6-year-old Carl Almen ended up on the cover.

– Your son is really cute, he has golden hair and blue eyes. Oh my God, we’re putting him on the tube, says Carl.

A photograph taken on a beach of his mother is used as a motif.

“Sometimes it’s a bit strange”

This year, Carl has graced the tube for 70 years and he admits that it can sometimes feel a bit strange to see his face so often.

– At the same time, I’m used to it. I think it’s very, very funny. Every day you open the fridge, he’s there smiling at you, isn’t that nice?

A Sweden symbol

He says that Kalles is a product that is almost always seen as something positive.

– You can like or not like caviar. But you always have a pleasant and positive perception of this little symbol of Sweden, he says.

In total, over half a billion tubes have been sold during these 70 years, but even though it is his face on the caviar tube, Carl has never received any money for it. However, he has access to free caviar – for the rest of his life.

– But it would have been something. Then I would have been in class with Elon Musk, he says.