Wonka Brand's Golden Ticket Promotion Inspired By Movie Magic

The 1971 movie, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," is an American cult classic. Tim Burton remade the film with Johnny Depp in 2005, and now – in a fateful act of symmetry – it is being honored with the creation of Wonka, an actual candy brand owned by Nestlé.

Nestlé is expanding its brand by launching a line of premium chocolates called Wonka Exceptionals – it’s the first time the Wonka brand has gone upscale. Previously known for such candies as Gummies and Nerds, Wonka Exceptionals will include three high-end chocolate bars.

And what better way to launch Wonka Exceptionals than with a "Golden Ticket" promotion? After all, the movie is about a poor boy named Charlie who finds a golden ticket in a Wonka candy bar. Now, Nestlé has decided to hide 10 golden tickets good for family trips around the world in Wonka Exceptionals candy bars. Talk about life imitating art.

Vilma Livas, Wonka brand manager, tells Brandweek, "This is the biggest launch we've had... Most significant to us is the ability to bring Wonka chocolate to life through the Golden Ticket promotion that's attached to this launch." The campaign will include print and TV advertising, as well as in-store support for the promotion.

But is it wise to bring out a premium chocolate product in this economy? Yes, says a Nestlé innovation manager on the Wonka experience, named Janet The Planet (her real legal name). "Times are tough," says Janet, "and what better way for people to have an incredible, affordable indulgence brought to them from Wonka, that allows them to escape the realities of the day and really enter into Wonka's world?"

And in today’s economy, escape may be just what consumers are looking for in a chocolate bar.