The hunt for the Golden Contra
It’s not only in the Indiana Jones universe that lost gems are waiting to be found. Among the directories and magazines in the STIHL corporate archives too, there are undiscovered treasures lurking – including some precious golden pieces. Watch the video to find out what happens when the archivist turns treasure hunter.
A special kind of treasure hunt: “The hunt for the Golden Contra.”
It is the star of the STIHL product range: The Contra. The gasoline-powered chainsaw is first introduced in 1959 as the D 24 model – and it is originally equipped with an eye-catching red housing. In the USA it is launched to market as the “Lightning”. And it does turn out to be a truly brilliant product idea. There are a few teething problems which need to be addressed – such as a slightly temperamental crankshaft. Once those are rectified the popularity of the Contra goes through the roof; it becomes an international bestseller and the epitome of a modern petrol chainsaw.
A fantastic marketing campaign
Starting as the company archivist at STIHL in 2014, Dr. Michael Hartmann also finds the Contra impossible to ignore. As the company archive is constantly receiving inquiries about the product’s history, he takes it upon himself to learn all about the Contra – and stumbles upon an intriguing advertisement from 1963: “October’s GOLDEN CONTRA already in use.” A golden version of the tool has been given to a group of forestry workers in the Freudenstadt district.
The headline turns out to allude to a brilliant marketing campaign reminiscent of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” It sparks a spectacular quest – and more importantly, uncovers a story that might never have been told…
The winners of the Golden Contra for October 1962: a team of forestry workers from Germany’s Black Forest region.
