THE MIDAS TOUCH

Produced by Cooper, Strock & Scannell of Milwaukee, for Hess & Clark, "The Midas Touch" (1968?) celebrates the "Golden Goodness of Eggs." Hess & Clark, a division of Richardson - Merrell, Inc., began been promoting egg consumption since 1959—a year when the "egg industry was in the doldrums."

00:00 The hen is an amazing food factory, producing 30 lbs of eggs per year (7 times its weight), with over 300 million hens in the US contributing to the egg industry. 0:29 Despite this, the egg industry faces challenges from computerized mass production, large-scale distribution, and changing consumer eating habits. 0:46 This film tells the story of a promotional plan, "The Midas Touch," created by Hess & Clark to renew consumer interest in eggs and increase demand. 1:41 The American consumer's changing habits, favoring quick snacks and convenience, led to a decline in egg consumption. 2:16 Hess & Clark devised a simple plan: give away eggs in a spectacular sampling program. 2:34 The package included hard-cooked eggs for convenience, salt and pepper shakers, a disposal bag, and an informative booklet with 21 ways to enjoy hard-cooked eggs.2:58 The campaign, "Enjoy the Golden Goodness of Eggs," starting in 1959.3:14 Hess & Clark sponsored NBC Monitor segments for two years, reminding listeners about hard-cooked eggs as a healthy snack and promoting their product NF-180 for egg production.3:50 The first egg sampling program launched in St. Louis in July 1959, giving away 50,000 hard-cooked eggs and attracting national media attention, reaching over 10 million homes. 4:26 Encouraged by the industry, the promotion expanded to state fairs and regional conventions throughout the rest of 1959, and continued with successful month-long campaigns in various states including New Jersey, California, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, and Arkansas 5:01 Leading food chains participated, and some state egg promotion organizations used their own budgets to support the "Golden Goodness of Eggs" campaign.5:15 News releases, magazine ads, radio commercials, billboards, and special placemats supported the campaigns, reaching millions of consumers.5:43 Kickoff luncheons and dinners were held with state egg promotion groups to emphasize the value of organized promotions.5:56 The promotions resulted in measurable increases in retail egg sales, with testimonials from Florida, Virginia, and Georgia highlighting significant sales boosts and media coverage.8:26 Over the years, the "Golden Goodness of Eggs" promotion appeared in 30 states and numerous cities and towns, growing from thousands to hundreds of thousands of eggs sampled.9:13 Millions of messages were delivered to consumers through radio (featuring Red Foley and Andy Griffith), and nearly a million eggs were sampled nationwide.10:14 To capitalize on the millionth egg milestone, a massive promotion was planned in New York City, which traditionally sets egg prices for the nation.10:39 The lucky recipient of the millionth egg would win a two-week expense-paid vacation for two to London, Paris, and Rome.10:51 The promotion included renaming the New Jersey Turnpike "America's Egg Expressway," a caravan of decorated trucks, poultry princesses, and industry representatives to New York. 11:25 On March 31, 1967, at Rockefeller Center, poultry princesses handed out 10,000 eggs in 40 minutes, just short of the millionth mark.11:47 The event was highlighted by the Golden Goodness Princesses appearing on a national television show.13:47 New York Times comments and editorial quotes spurred interest in the European egg holiday sweepstakes, which saw 1,700 supermarkets participate and thousands of entries.14:15 Five finalists were chosen, and a "millionth egg" with the winning message was "laid" by a hen.14:45 At Tavern on the Green in Central Park, leaders of the poultry and food industries met with the finalists. 15:17 Dr. L.A. Wilhelm of the Poultry and Egg National Board thanked New York City egg retailers. 16:21 The winner of the European egg holiday, Mr. Oscar Miller of the Bronx, was chosen through a blindfolded egg selection, receiving tickets to Europe, while other finalists received shortwave radios.17:50 Retailers reported significant sales increases, with one large chain showing an increase from 124,000 dozen eggs per week to 178,000 and 198,000 dozen during the two-week sweepstakes, exceeding pre-Easter sales.19:08 The promotion increased sales by 30% 20:16 Conclusion.