Jelly Belly founder David Klein is taking some inspiration fromWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factorywith a golden ticket promotion to give away the key to his own candy factory. Though Klein sold his stake in Jelly Belly in 1980, he has since continued to make sugary sweets while calling himself The Candyman. Now preparing for retirement, Klein wanted to bring an end to his career with a bit of fun with the launch of a worldwide treasure hunt, hoping to “give back to everyone who candy industry like he does.”
Per the press release, the plan for Klein and his partner is to hide “gold tickets” in every US state, with each one netting anyone who finds it a $5,000 check. The “gold tickets” in question will in fact be necklaces that resemble military dog tags, brandishing a code winners will use to confirm they’ve located the treasure. However, joining the scavenger hunt will not be as easy as buying candy at the grocery store and hoping for the best, alaWilly Wonka. For this hunt, participants will need to purchase a “riddle” unique to each state for $49.99. Each treasure hunt will also be capped off with a maximum of 1000 participants. Different riddles for each state will also be released on different days.
Of course, the grand prize for the nationwide treasure hunt will be the ownership of one of Klein’s actual candy factories in Florida. Also included will be an all-expenses paid trip and education to acandy-making university, making it a dream come true for anyone who’s spent their lives dreaming of one day becoming a candy maker. Anyone who joins at least one of these state treasure hunts will be eligible to search for what is called “The Ultimate Treasure,” and it will launch once all fifty states have had a chance to play.
This story seems like something straight out ofCharlie and the Chocolate Factory, although we can presume the similarities are only on the surface. It doesn’t seem likely that Klein will be offering experimental candies that turn children into giant blueberries, and the lucky winner probably shouldn’t get their hopes up for having any real-life Oompa Loompas helping them out with the maintenance of thecandy factory. Still, winning a candy factory with a golden ticket makes the comparisons unavoidable, and you really couldn’t blame the winner for attending the ceremony in an eccentric purple suit that would make bothWilly Wonkaactors Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp proud.
you’re able to learn more about the treasure hunt and purchase riddles for various states atTheGoldTicket.com. At the website, you can also watch a free documentary about Klein and his life as The Candyman, detailing how Jelly Belly came to be and what Klein has done in the years since. Klein has also encouraged participants of the treasure hunt to record their experiences for possible inclusion in a new “upcoming series.” Best of luck to everyone taking part in the candy factory treasure hunt!
