Jul 24, 2007 6:05 AM, PROMO Xtra, By Amy Johannes

JMP Creative is getting a starring role this week on ABC’s hit show “American Inventor.”

The marketing, promotions and invention company was selected as one of the design firms to help three of the show’s six finalists make their inventions and develop a presentation in less than four weeks.

The company will be featured on the show, which airs at 9 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.

FremantleMedia North America, the show’s producers, approached JMP Creative to handle the work. The company took charge of the entire design and marketing strategy for two finalists and marketing and packaging work for a third finalist. Jim Mc Cafferty, president and CEO of JMP Creative, said.

Mc Cafferty declined to identify the finalists prior to the airing of the show.

The agency created each invention and associated marketing strategy based on a $50,000 budget. As part of the effort, JMP Creative offered ideas on how the invention could be cross-promoted with different partners.

Our promotional background was a big help on this,” Mc Cafferty said.

Camera crews took over JMP Creative’s offices for nearly four weeks as the group worked on the inventions. About 30 people, including a team from Hot Buttered Elves, which handled sculpting for the inventions, were involved in the effort.

“It was challenging,” Mc Cafferty said. “We used every ounce of experience we had. We really put our hearts into it.”

On the show, six finalists will pitch their inventions as viewers cast their votes for the one they believe should be the next American Inventor and win the $1 million prize.

The finalists include Elaine Cato, a Tennessee realtor and her 6-In-1 Convertible Brassiere invention; Gregg Chavez, a California firefighter who developed a Christmas tree fire extinguisher called the ‘Guardian Angel”; Ricky DeRennaux, an Oklahoma teacher who developed a remote controlled vehicle kit; Craig Forest and David Moeller and The Claw bicycle storage mechanism; Joseph and Mike Miller and their gift wrapping station and Denise and George Tucker and their EZT4U loose leaf tea brewing machine.

It is JMP Creative’s first involvement in a reality show in its 17 years of business, Mc Cafferty said.

“We’re hoping the results will be good,” Mc Cafferty said. “If we can get one or two or even three finalists in, that would be amazing. I am happy with what we have done, I think the work will speak for itself.”

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