• by Amy Corr  @MediaPostOTL, November 25, 2005

After watching the premieres of both Martha Stewart's and Donald Trump's version of "The Apprentice," two conclusions can be drawn. One, Martha Stewart will resurrect the hand-written note; and two, her show's use of product placement is much more subdued than her counterpart's. Trump's version, however, scores higher in the ratings and in the catchphrase department. Stewart's demure "You just don't fit in" seems more reminiscent of team selection for seventh-grade kickball than it is appropriate for an executive environment.

The two brands highlighted in the first "Apprentice" episodes were Random House Publishing (Stewart) and Bally Total Fitness (Trump). Martha tasked her two teams to take a childhood fairy tale and give it a present-day spin. The teams created a book, complete with illustrations, and read their stories to an important target audience: a roomful of kids. The teams worked in tandem with Random House, but you never got the feeling of overkill with the brand.

That's where Trump comes in. His two teams created a fitness class for Bally, choosing one of two gyms in disparate New York locations. When the teams began to shill, they were decked out in Bally apparel from head to toe.

Viewers' tolerance level for branded entertainment may help determine which "Apprentice" makes the cut. But personality might also play