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British Scandal

Listen Now: Best Idea Yet

British Scandal

Wondery

Scandal, Alice Levine, Great Britain, Society & Culture, Exhibit C, British, England, History, Matt Forde, Documentary

4.56.4K Ratings

🗓️ 21 October 2024

⏱️ 7 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The untold stories behind the products you’re obsessed with and the bold risk-takers who made them go viral. How did Birkenstocks go from a German cobbler’s passion project 250 years ago to a starring role in the Barbie movie? Who created that bottle of Sriracha permanently living in your fridge? Did you know the Air Jordans were initially banned by the NBA, or that Super Mario became the best-selling video game character ever thanks to a strategy called “The Infinite Game?” On Wondery’s new weekly podcast The Best Idea Yet, Nick Martell and Jack Crivici-Kramer (hosts of the award-winning daily pop-business podcast, The Best One Yet aka TBOY) have identified the most viral products of all time and reveal their untold origin stories — plus the bold risk-takers who brought them to life. From the Happy Meal to Levi’s 501 jeans, come for the products you’re obsessed with, stay for the business insights that’ll make you the most interesting person at your next brunch. 


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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello, we are Matt and Alice from British scandal. Have you ever wondered how the

0:04.8

McDonald's happy meal became the best-selling meal of all time, Matt I'm sure you

0:08.6

have? Or who's really behind that bottle of Siracha living in your fridge?

0:12.1

Or why almost every house in America

0:14.1

has at least one game of monopoly.

0:16.7

I've wondered all these things.

0:18.3

Introducing the best idea yet, a brand new podcast about the untold origin stories of iconic products and the people who made

0:25.1

them go viral.

0:26.1

Did you know that Super Mario, the best-selling video game character of all time, only exists

0:31.3

because Nintendo couldn't get the rights to Popeye, or that the idea for

0:35.1

the McDonald's Happy Meal first came from a mum in Guatemala.

0:38.9

I'd be lying if I said yes. Every week on the best idea yet, they'll be digging into a new product and its story,

0:44.5

from the Happy Meal to the Super Mario Brothers to Air Jordans. You're obsessed with these products,

0:49.7

but you'll never believe their surprising origin stories.

0:53.0

We're about to play a clip from the best idea yet.

0:55.6

While you're listening, follow the best idea yet on the Wondery app,

0:58.6

or wherever you get your podcasts. It's June 19th,

1:05.0

June 19th, 1974,

1:11.0

Guatemala City's historic district, and Yolanda Fernandez-Dicofino is grinning from ear to ear because it's opening day for the very first McDonald's franchise located in Guatemala and she and her husband

1:24.2

they own it she's turning 40 next month and she's feeling excited for this new

1:28.2

chapter in her life because it's been months of work to get this thing ready to bring in the supplies to hire and then to

1:35.9

train 30 40 employees all while raising five kids of their own that That's a lot. Now quick side note

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