In a dramatic turn of events on The Apprentice, Lord Sugar has given yet another contestant the boot, citing a “disastrous” advert their team created for a new product launch.
The candidates on the recent BBC episode were challenged to devise a “innovative advertising campaign” for an electric vehicle. Team Nexus was tasked with marketing a camper van aimed at the leisure market, while their competitors, team Supream, were assigned a box van to entice the business sector in this week’s assignment.
Lord Sugar laid out the task, declaring, “You’re to come up with a brand name, and logo, and produce a 30-second TV ad. You’ll pitch your campaign to some top industry experts.”
The Mirror reports that the candidates divvied up roles within their teams, with Noor Bouziane stepping up as project manager for Supream. She was supported by team members Rachel Woolford, Foluso Falade, Tre Lowe, and Phil Turner.
Noor’s vision for their vehicle was as a mobile pop-up shop, enabling online retailers to engage with consumers face-to-face. Initially, Foluso was tipped for the sub-team leader role, but Phil was handed the baton after Foluso suggested him.
On the flip side, Paul Midha took the helm of Nexus, with fellow participants Raj Chohan, Steve Darken, Maura Rath, and Flo Edwards. Paul nominated Raj as sub-team leader – a role she embraced. Influenced by team input, Paul’s strategy was to market their leisure camper van to “young couples”.
The episode’s tension spiked as Nexus unveiled their brand advert to the experts, leading to a jab that their logo seemed more suited to a “sanitary product”. The panel also picked apart their advert for neglecting to highlight key features of the camper van, like its TV and built-in hob.
Supream’s brand was dismissed as being “a bit immature,” and they took a hit for showing the vehicle stationary in the ad, failing to display its mobility.
Upon reviewing the ads, Lord Sugar declared in the boardroom: “I’ve heard from the experts. I’ve watched the ads. My verdict – Nexus, your ad campaign was the superior one, congrats!”
The whole Supream squad was then hauled back to the boardroom to learn their fate, with Lord Sugar pointing out that Noor “steered this task with a bunch of backseat drivers hollering at you from behind”.
Key gripes were Noor’s “veering away” from the planned storyboard, the stationary vehicle, and the sub-team’s “appalling” logo. Despite the critiques, Noor insisted her fondness for the advert her team produced, even though it spent too much air time not highlighting the van itself.
Lord Sugar expressed his frustration, “I’m banging my head against a brick wall here. Noor, you’ve just not grasped how you’ve fumbled this. I gave you a shot to prove yourself, and Noor, it was a terrible advert, and with regret, you’re fired.”
Reflecting on her exit, Noor remarked, “I’m thankful for the incredible folks I met and for showing a glimpse of how stellar a businesswoman I can be. And even with the backlash, I still reckon the advert was pretty solid.”
