• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, February 6, 2006

Ty Pennington, the host of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," may occupy the very spot where Mars collides with Venus--ground zero for the gender divide.

To men, he's corny and tacky, impossibly good-looking, and a Hollywood pretty boy masquerading as a carpenter. He's too blond, too melodramatic, and too prone to grating exclamations like "Awesome!" or "That's incredible!" He's the guy who guys hated in high school. And each week, he's the superhero, finishing the show by giving a spectacular new house to a struggling family.

Let's face it: Men are jealous. Women love Ty for all the reasons that he drives men nuts. To the fairer sex, he's a catch--a stylish skateboarding type who's handy around the house--every bit the worthy recipient of People's sexiest men honors. Hokey to men, women dig his humor and enthusiasm. His fondness for home decorating makes him a hunky Martha Stewart. Plus, he's a mensch, a champion of the oppressed, devoted to helping transform the lives of the needy.

So, with guys and gals split about Ty, guess how marketers feel? It's not even close. To borrow a phrase from UPN, they're "where the girls are." Make that the money. Figures show that women impact at least 80 percent of household purchasing decisions. And marketers are eager to enlist Ty's seal of approval to influence the female target.

Sears has a multifaceted deal in which it offers a "Ty Pennington" line of homewares, and Ty serves as pitchman. The retailer also has a mammoth product placement arrangement with "Extreme Makeover" in which its stores are featured weekly, and Ty often praises its help in rebuilding homes. "Sears really came through," he said on a recent episode. The product integration works well. Ty and his team make Sears seem like a fun place to shop, and Sears comes off as playing a crucial role in turning a family's life around--often a very emotional experience to even the most cynical viewer.

Ford also has a major product placement presence on the show, most strikingly when Ty gives an economically challenged family new vehicles. Wheaties recently made an appearance, as Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee joined Ty in delivering the breakfast of champions to one of the designers. Others want to sponge off Ty's appeal and the feel-good show's popularity. In the Jan. 29 episode, Purina signed on for a multidimensional product integration (evaluated and ranked via research firm iTVX as one of the five most effective product placements last week ).

It was a natural fit. Ty and the team set out to refurbish the home of a Texas family, which spends so much time and money saving abused animals that their own house has been neglected. The extreme makeover yields a new shelter for the family's 30 rescued dogs and 15 horses. Purina's exposure includes a 5-second close-up of one of its trucks delivering a gigantic amount of dog food, followed by volunteers rushing to help unload the endless bags. Later, Ty serves as Purina's ambassador, telling the family: "Some folks at Purina dog chow sent over two things: One is a 10-year supply of dog food and...take a look at this!" Inspirational music plays in the background as Ty hands the mother an envelope. Incredulous, she opens it to find a $50,000 check. "Are you serious?" Dad shouts. Then, Mom, Dad, and the three kids celebrate wildly.

Saccharine and made-for-television, to be sure. But corporate goodwill always makes people feel good. So does saving animals. Purina does both. The company's brand is not gratuitously sprinkled throughout the show. It appears only in the context of helping a deserving family continue to help abused animals. Viewers--particularly women--probably responded with a collective "Awww."

For Purina, Ty proved to be a winner.