Quiznos Features Celebrity Sandwiches

NEW YORK CITY (Blue MauMau) - Quiznos, a chain of more than 4,600 domestic quick service restaurants, was featured in the television show, "Celebrity Apprentice". On March 13 two celebrity teams competed to show off Quiznos new $2 Sammies sandwiches by creating a celebrity concoction using ingredients only found in the stores.

The Apprentice's hiring and firing CEO, billionaire Donald Trump, arranged to have country singer Trace Adkins and Stephen Baldwin compete against boxer Lennox Lewis and reality-show judge Piers Morgan. Heavy-weight boxer Lewis managed to pull more customers into the New York Quiznos store when passers-by recognized the famous sports star. His team won the challenge of selling more sandwiches in a two-hour period without the benefit of calling in their celebrity friends to donate money.

Quiznos announced that both team recipes will be sold at its restaurants until April 6.

Steve Provost, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Quiznos notes, "both Celebrity Apprentice teams excelled in the kitchen, creating two new SAMMIES that we are honored to bring to our restaurants for a limited time only."

Sean Kelly, President, IdeaFarm and publisher of FranchiseeMarketing.com, thinks such efforts can build a stronger brand. Kelly comments, "DVRs, channel surfing and TV shows on the 'Net make it easier to avoid viewing sales pitches. Advertisers are increasingly turning to embed their messages into programming content via sponsorships and product placement. Unfortunately for everyone, most product placement is obvious and awkward."

And such product placements do not come cheaply. A sponsor in this season's thirteen episodes pays as much as $2.5 million for the honor of being a business challenge for the show's participants, according to Wikipedia. Eastman Kodak, Dial Corporation, Crocs and now Quiznos were some of the multinational corporations that have been featured this season.

Quiznos has also put effort into creating Internet buzz that can reach into the territories of its stores. In conjunction with the television event, Quiznos.com held a week-long "Vote for Your Favorite Celebrity Sammie" contest, which ended March 21, 2008. Fans voted for their favorite celebrity Sammie recipe -- up to one vote per person daily. A winner will soon be randomly selected to receive a weekend trip for two to New York and a two night stay at the Trump Tower Hotel. A hundred second prize winners will each receive a Sammie Combo Meal gift card (a $10 value). Winners will be drawn on March 31, 2008.

Kelly observes how Quiznos showed off their marketing know-how. "Quizno's on 'The Celebrity Apprentice' was about as seamless as it gets. The product naturally integrated with the format and marketing theme of the show. Celebrities actively involved with the product for an extended time in front of millions of viewers was a powerful brand builder. The show's buzz boosted Quiznos' exposure on the blogosphere and by the water cooler. And the campaign lent itself to local store 'activation' through sandwich promotions and local contests. It's tough to find a meatier media opportunity than that."