• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, January 21, 2005

When it comes to cooking up a delicate branded entertainment deal, some consumer product companies get it well done; others get it cheesy. Give Burger King its due.

Last night's debut episode of the third installment of "The Apprentice" featured the 'street smart' team, Net Worth Corp., marketing a new Western Angus Steak burger better than the 'book smart' Magna Corp., looking to market a Triple Cheese Angus Steak burger.

In keeping with a seamless branded entertainment marketing effort, the Western Angus Steak burger will go on sale today for real at Burger King for two weeks.

Burger King ran one actual commercial in the show - one by its agency, Crispin Porter & Bogusky in Miami. It featured Donald Trump entering the boardroom questioning young recruits about why they took lunch when they did. Trump fired the one slacker who gleefully called him "Trumpster." Then came the tag line from the voiceover: "Try it now or you're fired." Burger King launched the original plain Angus burger last year.

There are a couple of questions, though, that could have delved into the deal a bit more. One can only guess that had the 'book smart' team outsold the 'street smart' team, Burger King would be selling the Triple Cheese Angus burger today.

Or maybe not. Was Burger King entirely reliant on "The Apprentice" team for their actual product selection, or would there have been a change of plays at the line of scrimmage?

Since this is only a two-week test, perhaps it didn't make a difference - and wasn't too big of a leap to make. Burger King typically adds special items to its menu in limited two- and three-week entertainment promotions that are tied into kids TV shows and to kids-targeted theatrical movies.

Unlike other branded efforts on the show, Burger King had a consistent plan in its in-show content and in its traditional commercial.

Last season, for example, "Apprentice" teams worked on developing a new Pepsi package. But the winning design never made it into actual production. During the show Pepsi ran a commercial that featured a different Pepsi can than either of the designed bottles conceived during the show. There was no explanation.

Burger King followed through and today uses "The Apprentice" as a jumping off point to market the Western Angus. It can claim -- for a day at least -- to be the big cheese in branded entertainment.