Domino’s Extends Apprentice Tie-in Via Sweeps
Domino’s Pizza is giving consumers a chance to experience the high life—Donald Trump’s life, that is—through an online sweeps that offers a chance to win a trip to New York City and a Trump-style hotel stay.
The pizza company is the latest brand featured on NBC’s hit reality show The Apprentice. Now, Domino’s is giving consumers a chance to experience its brand in a different light, driving fans to a revamped Web site at Dominos.com to play online games and enter a sweepstakes.
Consumers who register online can play the Deliver to the Donald game, where players must catch falling pizza boxes and cheeseburgers. The Web site also invites players to play an instant win game, which gives consumers a chance to win a grand prize of a three-night trip for two to New York City. The trip includes a two-night stay at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, limousine service during the stay, a helicopter tour of Manhattan, tickets to a Broadway play and $1,000 spending money.
The sweepstakes is open to consumers 18 and older and runs through April 30. ePrize of Farmington Hills, MI, handles.
In last week’s Apprentice episode, contestants had to develop a new kind of pizza and sell their product. The Magna team won the task.
Domino’s marked a first, airing two spots that featured Trump himself and running these during the episode. In one, Trump answers the door and finds a Domino’s deliveryman arriving with Domino’s 555 Deal (three medium pizzas for $5 each). Trump negotiates with the driver and tries to take credit for the deal. The second spot features a Domino’s driver delivering Domino’s new American Classic Cheeseburger pizza to Trump’s office. Trump likes the product so much, he tries to take credit for the idea.
Domino’s, however, wasn’t the only pizza maker to benefit from The Apprentice. Competitor Papa John’s entered the mix, airing its own TV spot during the show in 64 markets. The competitor’s ad featured Papa John’s Founder and Chairman John Schnatter in a boardroom setting asking consumers to tell the competition “they’re fired” while introducing its new spicy meatball pizza.
The Papa John’s TV spot is a light-hearted attempt to stay in pace with the competition, said Chris Sternberg, VP and corporate spokesperson for Papa John’s.
“In a cluttered marketplace, we look for unique ways to connect to the consumers,” said Sternberg. “We just thought it was a good way to break through that clutter and get out the message of being a quality pizza company.”
The TV spot that aired during The Apprentice in most markets can be viewed at Papajohns.com. Print ads, TV ads and Internet materials support.
