• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, August 9, 2016

Fitzgerald & CO, part of Interpublic’s McCann is working with its client, flooring company Pergo, on the launch of a branded reality series called Ultimate Staycation. It will debut on August 20 on FYI Network (on-air and digital) and run through mid-September. 

The series revolves around a recently-married young couple who must stay in a home outfitted with Pergo floors for a month in order to win a $20,000 down payment (and new Pergo floors) towards their first home. In order to win, they can’t set foot outside the house for the entire month-long period.

As David Matathia, Fitzgerald & Co’s Chief Strategy Officer, puts it, "Why pay $15 to go to a movie when you can stay in and binge watch your favorite show. Why tread supermarket aisles when groceries can come to you?  Memes glorify the modern homebody and many are deciding that the comfort of home is not always worth leaving.”

Matathia added that, “The traditional weekend go-tos are now available on demand at home. Memes glorify the modern homebody while words like ‘binge-watching’ are part of our culture’s everyday vernacular.” 

The couple, Kate and Andrew McKee, will tackle a number of challenges, some featuring FYI celebrity talent like Zach Giffin from Tiny House Nation. 

In one episode the couple will be tasked with throwing a dinner party for family. But they won’t know their families are coming over for the evening until that afternoon so they’ll have to scramble to get ready.  They’ll get help from food expert, brand consultant and blogger Mandy Kellogg Rye. The food prep gets messy, which presents an opportunity to show viewers how Pergo floors clean up quickly and easily.

Another challenge:  Pet sitting two dogs and a cat for a weekend. Not being able to go outside, the cuteness quickly wears off as the chores and messes start to pile up (so to speak). The flooring, of course, is equal to the task. In another episode the couple is challenged with throwing a kids birthday party which they chaperone by themselves.

“With more and more people preferring to stay in versus going out, the idea of showcasing our product through engaging storytelling revolving around the art of staying in is a perfect fit,” said Paij Thorn-Brooks, vice president of marketing for Pergo. “The series content is culturally relevant, brand specific and gracefully positions our [flooring products] as the heroes of the series, laying the foundation for amazing living space that inspires staying home.”