'Celebrity Apprentice' show uses Serta's Wang bedding for task
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, January 14, 2008
New York — Donald Trump is ready to fire a bad night of sleep.
NBC-TV's new "Celebrity Apprentice" show, which features the "You're fired!" entrepreneur and TV personality, will tackle next month a mattress marketing exercise featuring a Vera Wang by Serta sleep set.
Well-known fashion designer Wang and Serta President Bob Sherman were filmed for the episode, which is set to air Feb. 7. In addition to Trump, the show features over a dozen celebrities, including rock star Gene Simmons, boxer Lennox Lewis, actress Marilu Henner and actor Vinnie Pastore, who was "Big Pussy" on "The Sopranos."
The celebrities will devise marketing plans for Vera Wang's bridal bed, which retails for $1,499. Their work will be judged by Trump and his judges, who include members of his family. The loser will hear Trump's famous refrain, "You're fired!"
Serta has posted information on the show on its Web site, www.serta.com. Company officials believe the show will give the brand a boost.
"We are honored to partner with the show," said Sherman. "Donald Trump selects only top-tier brands to work with, and we are confident that working with him will strengthen our brand awareness across the country."
Trump has an upscale line of living room, dining room and bedroom furniture with Lexington Home Brands.
The seventh season of "Apprentice" is off to a strong start. The Jan. 3 premiere finished No. 1 in its time slot among adults in the 25–54 age bracket, and also finished No. 1 for the evening and the entire week. With over 11 million viewers, it was the strongest premiere for the show to date.
"The success of the premiere indicates that we will see strong Vera Wang by Serta sales as a result of our episode," Sherman said. "This is a fantastic opportunity for our retailers to capitalize on our national exposure and drive their sales."
Consumers can visit Serta's Web site to sign up for exclusive offers related to the episode.
The celebrities on the show aren't vying for a job with Trump, but are working to raise money for various charities.
