Why The Candy Factory Treasure Hunt Is Brilliant Marketing

Every marketer has had the Willy Wonka dream. Many have attempted it, few have perfected it, and just one has revived it to its original form. A few days ago, candy maker David Klein announced he would be giving away one of his factories in a nationwide treasure hunt. The contest is open to 1,000 players in each state who will pay $49.98 per ticket. Although the details of the game are still ambiguous, that hasn’t stopped this campaign from earning nationwide attention from news publications and every other friend on your Facebook feed right now. Millions of people will likely follow this story through to its end. Will 50,000 people really embark on a sugarcoated treasure hunt? Will someone really riddle their way into their very own candy factory? Will someone turn into a blueberry? Nobody knows. But we do know that, regardless of what ultimately happens, right now this is brilliant marketing. Here’s why:

Why The Candy Factory Treasure Hunt Is Brilliant Marketing

1. It’s Familiar
   Before Candyman Klein made his announcement, nobody had ever heard of him. His factory, Candyman Kitchens, shows up as an eerie, slightly decrepit cement building in Florida on Google Maps. If this contest had been presented with photographs and information on the man and factory behind it, it may not have received the same attention its getting and still yielding. But, everyone knows of Willy Wonka. Nearly everyone has read the book or seen the movies. We’ve all had that dream that we’d be the lucky one to find a golden ticket. Scrolling through feeds of endless advertisements and sales pitches, it takes something familiar, something recognizable to get us to stop. “Get a golden ticket!” “Win a candy factory!” “Real-Life Willy Wonka Contest!” These are all headlines that publications are using to announce the story. The second we read these headlines, our brains note them and connect them to our memories. It’s that connection that draws us in, causes us to feel a positive emotion, and makes us want to stop scrolling and read more. If this campaign was promoted with, “Old Man Looking For New Factory Owner,” it wouldn’t have been given a moment’s notice. The familiarity creates a moment of connection that instantly drives our interest and wonder.

2. It Builds Community
   This contest will supposedly be run in all 50 states with 1,000 participants in each state. Just like in the book and the movies where everyone is glued to their TVs waiting to find out who got the last golden ticket, millions of people across the entire country will be following along on this thrilling, albeit slightly weird, journey. It drives conversations, engagement, and tribes. Whether you’re personally playing or not, you’ll likely be rooting for someone, subconsciously or consciously. Chances are, you’ll be rooting for the participants from your home state. In the end, does it matter if someone you’ve never met (and likely will never meet) who lives 8 hours away from you, is 17 years younger than you, and shares none of your same interests wins a broken-down candy factory in Florida? Probably not. But you will probably feel a ping of excitement if “omg the winner was from New York!” It builds a sense of community, it innately creates tribes and cheering squads, and it makes you feel connected to people you would never be otherwise. And that is not something you achieve with your everyday marketing campaign.

3. It Drives Revenue

   I can’t say much for the financials of David Klein or Candyman Kitchens, and I don’t know the cost of promoting or executing this contest, but let’s take a quick look at the numbers. Every state will be participating. 1,000 players from each state are permitted. The price of entry is $49.98. That means, if the tickets sell out, Candyman Klein is raking in $2.5 million before the contest even beings. Because this is such a unique opportunity, and due to its virality and sense of urgency (which we’ll get to next), there is going to be a high demand to participate. $49.98 is accessible enough and a price I don’t think people will scoff at in order to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. $2.5 million is a pretty nice retirement plan — no need to sugarcoat it.

4. It Generates Virality

   As a marketer or content creator, you know that you can’t “try to make something go viral.” It needs to happen organically. With the constant overflow of competitive content, this is no easy feat. Whether intentional or not, this contest created a moment. It interrupted the content space. The familiarity gets viewers to stop, but it is its unique way of creating an opportunity for people to be part of something that lights its match. This isn’t a story about someone who won a candy factory. This is a chance for that someone to be you. This gives you the hope of actualizing the dream you and your BFF had at 12 years old. This contest sparks a feeling of nostalgia. It urges you to want to click “share” to reminisce and ask your friends, “remember when?” It gives you a reason to take action instead of simply reading a headline and swiping left.

5. It Creates Urgency
   This story has a timeline. The contest will start and it will end. But the limits go beyond that. There are only 1,000 tickets available in each state. Out of the 14 states whose tickets have release dates, 8 have already sold out. By creating a sense of urgency, people act faster out of the fear of missing out. If this was left open to everyone, people would wait around to see if other people were participating. By setting a finite number of tickets, it’s saying, “we know this will be a popular event so we need to limit the number of participants.” They’re providing the social proof needed to get someone to make a purchase. Also by limiting ticket sales, they’re making the experience exclusive. Only 1,000 participants will get to play — wouldn’t you want to be one of the 1,000? Wouldn’t that make you feel special? Wouldn’t it make you feel awesome to be part of something that only 999 other people in your entire state got to be part of? Well hurry up — tickets are selling out!

I can’t tell you where the Gold Tickets will be hidden. I can’t tell you if this will be a profitable venture for Candyman Kitchens or a total flop. I can’t tell you if this was all just a methodical scam to fund Mr. Klein’s retirement while he’s flying off to the Canary Islands with $2.5 million (I hope not). But, I can tell you that, if this is all kosher, this is some brilliant marketing. I applaud you, Mr. Klein, whether you built this as an exemplary marketing campaign or simply because you just don’t feel like operating a 35-year-old candy factory any longer. When you’re building out your next marketing campaign, whether with your team, your agency, or your marketing consultant, take a bite of this chocolate bar with you. If you can create a campaign that’s familiar, builds community, drives revenue, generates virality, and creates urgency, then Charlie, my boy, you’ve got a winner. And that, my friend, is your golden ticket.