SARASOTA, FLA. — The home service brands of Mister Sparky, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning partnered with NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice” for the program’s ninth season, Sunday, May 2, 2010.
During the episode, the celebrity contestants had to create three 30-second creative radio commercials to highlight the promptness and reliability associated with the three home service brands. Team RockSolid, consisting of Bret Michaels, Sharon Osbourne, and Maria Kanellis, took home the top prize with their catchy and imaginative radio spots. As Project Manager for RockSolid, Michaels won $20,000 for American Diabetes Association charity, plus a $20,000 bonus from Clockwork Home Services.
Since this episode, the three home service brands have seen a spike in service calls and visitors to their brand websites. Mister Sparky saw an increase of 621.89% at www.mistersparky.com/ following Sunday night’s episode. The Benjamin Franklin phone number, 877-BEN-1776, which was used in the jingle on the show, saw a 350% increase within the first 24-hours. And, calls to the One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning spiked 151.14% within the first 24 hours post-episode.
As part of the brands’ 360° marketing program, the three companies activated a “Trump Time is Money” sweepstakes that has incorporated Donald Trump’s message of punctuality and timeliness into their “on time” service guarantee.
Participants can enter the sweepstakes at http://www.win100grand.com/, for a chance to win $100K and additional prizes. Since May 2, 2010, the site has seen a 945% increase in entries into the sweepstakes.
“We’re extremely pleased with the visibility and recognition of quality that has come about for the Mister Sparky, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, and One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning brands through our involvement on this season of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” said Clockwork CEO Jim Abrams. “The show has served as a national platform to recognize the hard and talented workers in the home service industry, and we couldn’t be prouder of the association we now have with Mr. Trump and the renowned Apprentice franchise.”