Jelly Belly has released a statement clarifying that they are not connected to the Gold Ticket Giveaway contest that’s gone viral over the past few days.
In the media release, the company said:
“David Klein, the sponsor of the “treasure hunt” contest gaining attention within the media this weekend, is not associated with Jelly Belly Candy Company, its brands, or products. In 1976, Mr. Klein, an independent third party, came up with the name “Jelly Belly” and other novel marketing ideas. Jelly Belly Candy Company has not had a relationship with Mr. Klein since 1980 when it acquired the trademark.”
The company added that, “Jelly Belly Candy Company, formerly known as Herman Goelitz Candy Company, has candy making roots back to 1869. It was founded by brothers Gustav and Albert Goelitz and remains family owned and operated today.”
Over the last few days, articles about the contest were shared thousands of times and even trended on Twitter for a bit. Multiple news outlets picked up the story and ran headlines making it seem like the Jelly Belly Candy Co. was involved in the contest, although they are not.
The contest mirrors that of the Golden Ticket storyline in the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movies, where the grand prize winner gets a key to a candy factory.
