Kodak, Dial, Sign on to Sponsor ‘Apprentice’
Big-name marketers, including Kodak, The Dial Corp. and Pedigree have signed on to sponsor the newest version of “The Apprentice,” which returns in January.
The reality show, now called “The Celebrity Apprentice,” will have 14 celebrities competing, not for a job with real estate mogul Donald Trump, but for money to donate to their favorite charities. The final winner gets $250,000 for their charity.
Other sponsors include Serta, Nederlander, Crocs and returning sponsors Quiznos and QVC. Contestants will be tasked with a variety of stunts to avoid being fired by Trump, including building an ad to promote Pedigree’s Pet Adoption program to selling hot dogs on New York City streets and tickets to Broadway shows.
First-time sponsor Kodak is using its tie-in to promote its Kodak Easyshare All-in-One printer. During the episode, teams will create and operate a mobile printing station using the printer.
“We thought it was a great opportunity,” Jeffrey Hayzlett, chief marketing officer, for Kodak, said of the sponsorship. “It’s a way to get Kodak out to different audiences.
Hayzlett didn’t release details about the task, but said, “People are certainly going to be entertained.”
Kodak plans to follow-up its task sponsorship with a consumer promotion. The company will also place “As seen on The Celebrity Apprentice” stickers on its products and in its TV spots, Hayzlett said.
It’s the first time NBC is using celebrities as contestants on the show. Gene Simmons, Stephen Baldwin, Carol Alt and Lennox Lewis will be among some of the famous faces that will appear on the show.
The show begins at 9 p.m. on Jan. 3.
“The Apprentice” was initially cancelled this year. (Promo Xtra, May 22, 2007).
At the time, Trump, the show’s co-producer, said he planned to move on to other ventures. But NBC later added the series to its line-up.
Rumors circulated that the network didn’t want to renew the show’s because of poor ratings. Last season, the show was filmed in Los Angeles instead of its original New York location. It was also moved to a new night, Sundays, and later time slot at 10 p.m. The season finale drew in nearly 8 million viewers, compared to the first season finale, which brought in 41.5 million viewers
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