The University of Michigan Special Collections Research Center is pleased to announce a new exhibit, Quaker Oats Makes a Movie: A Scrumdiddlyumptious Wonka Adventure. This exhibit, curated by students in Matthew Solomon’s SAC 335 class, explores the production of the film Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, and Quaker Oats’s unexpected involvement in the film industry. As they prepared to launch a new line of Wonka candy, the company saw the movie as a unique marketing opportunity, essentially creating a 90-minute commercial for their products. The exhibit tells the story of the successes and failures of this one-time foray into the movie business, including elaborate promotional plans, on-set accidents, and adoring fan letters.
For more information about the special exhibit, visit https://www.lib.umich.edu/blogs/beyond-reading-room/new-exhibit-quaker-oats-makes-movie