 The golden ticket promotional gimmick, from which the episode receives its title, is a reference to the golden tickets from the 1964 Roald Dahl novel, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", as well as the 1971 and 2005 film adaptations of the book.Throughout the first half of the episode, Michael wears a purple suit and top hat similar to Willy Wonka, the character responsible for the promotion from which this episode takes its name.Blue Cross of Pennsylvania, the Dunder Mifflin client who receives the golden tickets, is a real-life division of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an American health insurance company.