• by David Kaplan , January 17, 2005

Sure, any TV show can come and refurbish someone's home, but you have to admit it takes guts--and major sponsorship--to redo an entire town. Well, that's what TLC is up to with backing from Procter & Gamble for a new series called "Town Haul," which begins with the renovation of the city of Jeffersonville, N.Y.

P&G's Swiffer cleaning product is the main sponsor of the show, which premiers on Saturday, January 22 at 10 PM (EST/PST). The advertising tie-in is part of a larger partnership with Procter & Gamble and TLC parent, Discovery Networks. As part of the tie-in introducing the series, the show's host Genevieve Gorder, from "Trading Spaces," is being featured in Swiffer commercials.

As for "Town Haul" itself, designer Gorder tackles what she says is the biggest challenge of her career: not just redesigning a living room, family room, bedroom, or den, but an entire town over a series of weeks. In this new series, she will oversee a team of skilled designers, carpenters, and craftspeople as they work alongside townspeople to re-imagine, re-paint, repair, restore, and clean small towns across the United States. "This partnership is significant because it grows our relationship with Procter & Gamble and highlights the value we continually offer our advertising partners," said Joe Abruzzese, president, advertising sales, Discovery Networks, U.S.

"To organically integrate our products with "Town Haul" in such an entertaining format is a great fit for our brand, and additionally, it strengthens Swiffer's association with Genevieve Gorder," said Kristine Decker, Swiffer Brand Manager at P&G.