New commercials starring Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch and Matty Cardarople of “Stranger Things” and “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” promote the company’s NPMA GreenPro Certified services.
Having enlisted the creative services of Hazy Mills Productions the previous year to produce an intriguing and humorous television commercial campaign, Clark Pest Control in Lodi, Calif., decided this year that working with the production company for a new spring campaign was a no brainer. The commercial, starring Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch and Matty Cardarople of “Stranger Things” and “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” promoted the company’s NPMA GreenPro Certified services. Airing the new ad during the 2019 Masters Tournament via Nimmea Advertising in Los Angeles turned out to be a hole-in-one.
THE IDEA. “(Hazy Mills Productions) actually approached us with the idea that they might be able to bring Jane in,” says Nicole Keefe, vice president at Clark Pest Control. The company has produced award-winning and critically acclaimed entertainment such as “Hot in Cleveland” and “Hollywood Game Night.” Because Hazy Mills had effectively collaborated with Clark Pest Control in 2018, the production company “got to know us and see what we were looking for” in terms of marketing returns, says Keefe. As a result, the professionalism, budget, creativity and element of fun that the team at Hazy Mills utilized in working with Clark, “knocked our socks off,” explains Keefe. She said the commercial definitely captured the pest control company’s branding and key messaging.
THE FUNNY TAKE. In the 30-second commercial, Lynch and her sidekick “Walter,” played by Cardarople, act as fly-by-night pest control workers comically attempting to sell GreenPro services by simply dressing up Walter as a giant green man. Keefe said Clark was “thrilled” to have such talented, comedic actors involved with the project. “You just watch [Lynch] talk and you crack up,” she says, and Cardarople had great physical humor and screen presence. With additional footage captured on set, Keefe said the firm hopes to produce additional material next spring.
A SERIOUS MESSAGE. Part of the understanding with Hazy Mills was to portray Clark Pest Control’s core values of being an ethical and trustworthy company. Interestingly, Lynch researched Clark and asked some “tough questions” before signing on to the project to ensure “that we were an ethical business and that we really met the tenets we were conveying,” explains Keefe. She added that Clark Pest Control is known for focusing on green services and solutions with GreenPro-certified technicians in order to be mindful of the environment, while at the same time providing high-quality pest management services.
Even with the humorous perspective, the commercial was still able to “convey some of the reasons we think it is important to work with a professional pest control company,” says Keefe. At the end of the commercial, Lynch wittily narrates, “I guess if you want things done the right way…call Clark” rather than calling an unreliable or unknown company. Plus, the intent behind the funny ad was to make people crack a smile about a serious subject. “People have varying feelings about engaging pest control” whether it’s fear, embarrassment or disgust, says Keefe. The commercial definitely resonated with viewers, Keefe said. Brand searches for the company increased following the commercial being aired.
ON THE GREEN. The commercial aired in California during an optimal time, the 2019 Masters Tournament that Tiger Woods unexpectedly won. The event garnered record-high ratings. The time of the year — spring — also was ideal. “We wanted to be top of mind” for people who are planning to head back out into their gardens and are considering green services, explains Keefe.
Like Woods, the marketing campaign was a winner. Year-over-year brand searches increased 24.8 percent and local directory phone calls (Google, Yelp, Yahoo, etc.) increased 28 percent, Keefe said.
The author is an Ohio-based freelancer.
ASPCRO Recap
Features - /// Regulatory Update
The Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials’ annual meeting provided a forum for input and discussions on a number of issues impacting pesticide regulation and the pest management industry.
The ASPCRO board meeting at the association’s annual meeting.
Photos by Irene C. King
The Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials (ASPCRO) is a professional association comprised of pesticide regulatory officials focused on the regulation of the structural pest control industry. Its membership includes regulatory officials from across the United States, tribes and territories. ASPCRO’s primary goal is to protect the health and welfare of the citizens of each state through the fair and effective regulation of the pest control industry. This important goal is realized through partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, registrants and pesticide manufacturers, and pest management professionals, which together, are vital in the control of pests of public health and economic significance.
ASPCRO works collaboratively with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies, state and local regulatory authorities, and professional associations including the Association of American Pesticide Control Officials (AAPCO), American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators (AAPSE), the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and others to achieve its primary goal.
The 2019 ASPCRO Annual Conference was held in Franklin, Tenn., Aug. 26-30. The event provided a forum for input and discussions on a number of current issues impacting pesticide regulation and the structural pest management industry. Attendees were offered sessions that discussed technical issues, including polyurethane spray foam insulation; rodenticide topics specific to wildlife impacts, zoonotic pathogens that can potentially impact public health and the potential registration of a new rodenticide; management-related topics such as the need for IPM in safeguarding the food supply chain; stewardship and misuse; newly begun work focusing on the internet sales of pesticides; developing a clearinghouse of information on structural remediation; and many other topics critical to the pest management industry.
Attendees received a behind-the-scenes pest tour of the Opryland Gaylord complex.
The meeting was attended by a broad range of stakeholders interested in the regulation of the structural pest control industry that included local, state and federal officials charged with the regulation of pesticide use within their respective jurisdictions; members of the regulated industry; pesticide safety educators from cooperative extension; researchers; registrants; and other private enterprises interested in the subject of pest management and proper pesticide usage.
SPRAY FOAM INSULATION. The sessions related to polyurethane spray foam insulation (PSFI) were among the most heavily attended during the week-long meeting. PSFI is used in new and renovated structures to enhance energy efficiency primarily in attics, basements and crawlspaces. However, its use has resulted in two confounding problems for pest management professionals. First, PSFI installed in crawlspaces has resulted in obscuring the ability of PMPs to identify subterranean termite activity, unless there is an appropriate gap between the ground and the PSFI — a key factor in the identification of potential infestations. This is of concern for pesticide regulatory officials because it has resulted in the cancellation of some termite contracts by pest management companies.
ASPCRO’s Building Code Committee conducted a short survey to ascertain the extent of the problem in its member states. Five of the 22 states responding to the survey reported complaints related to the use of PSFI. Of those five states, only one enforcement action was taken involving an inaccessible area on a wood-destroying inspection report. Other findings included four states that referenced building codes in pesticide regulations and three states having either building codes or pesticide regulations that require inspection gaps. The results of the survey are published on ASPCRO’s website (www.aspcro.org).
The second problem related to PSFI is in regards to attics of structures installed with this type of insulation. Here, structures that have installed PSFI in attics are a primary concern for fumigators because extended aeration times were required to clear sulfuryl fluoride (SF) from a fumigated structure. Initially, delayed aeration of structures fumigated with SF was thought to be a problem with the adsorption properties of closed-cell foam. However, testing performed by manufacturer Douglas Products indicated that extended fumigation times resulted because PSFI creates conditions where ventilation is hampered due to a tighter seal in attic structures. Interestingly, use of an active aeration procedure, such as the California Aeration Procedures (CAP), appear to assist the aeration of a fumigated structure and not result in delayed structural aerations. To assist stakeholders with this issue, ASPCRO has posted on its website letters and Q&As from Douglas Products that address fumigations with Vikane and Master Fume, and a letter from Ensystex II that discusses fumigation with Zythor in homes with PSFI. (Click “library” then “documents” on the ASPCRO website to access these files.)
Attendees received a behind-the-scenes pest tour of the Opryland Gaylord complex.
RODENTS. The sessions on rodents also were heavily attended and of keen interest among the meeting’s attendees. One session, devoted primarily to the attempted California ban on rodenticides, was particularly interesting. Dr. Niamh Quinn, University of California Cooperative Extension, South Coast Research and Extension Center, presented an overview of legislation related to rodenticide products. Legislative attempts are being proposed to mitigate the high level of exposure and deaths of California wildlife. “We just don’t know how it is happening or what kind of population impacts rodenticide use has,” said Quinn. She said in coyotes that have been submitted for necropsy studies, a large portion have been exposed to at least one anti- coagulant rodenticide active ingredient. However, almost none of the specimens submitted have died from rodenticide exposure. And, this is happening in what appears to be an expansion of range and increased densities in urban communities, which would theoretically increase the level of rodenticide exposure to these animals.
Mountain lions also were discussed. Times are very tough for these animals because many have died from rodenticide exposure. However, in regards to the mountain lions that died and were subsequently studied by Quinn, it was noted that several other stressors were responsible for their deaths.
Rodenticide exposure is likely occurring in other states across the nation. “Generally, if you look for anti- coagulant rodenticide exposure in wildlife, you will find it,” said Quinn. She then listed a number of questions that need to be answered before legislation should be enacted to effectively mitigate rodent control. Additional research is needed to fully understand routes of wildlife exposure, she said. It is also important to understand the roles pest management professionals and the general public play so that the product registrants, PMPs and homeowners can use these products and confidently avoid wildlife exposure. Of course, eliminating these rodenticides from PMPs’ toolboxes would have dire effects on public health in California and across the country.
During this meeting, attendees also heard about a potential new rodenticide tool. Alphachloralose, which has a long history of use as an anesthetic to capture and transport Canadian geese, also has limited use as a rodenticide in other countries. Use of the compound would not only be a first in the U.S., but it would be the first new rodenticide registered for use in more than 20 years. Alphachloralose effectively lowers body temperatures, which can be fatal in small warm-blooded animals such as mice, for which use is being sought. Non-target or secondary risk is considered “negligible” due to its rapid metabolism. Also, large-bodied animals do not appear to be affected in the doses used for the target pest. EPA anticipates making a regulatory decision later this year (Docket # EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0507). For additional information contact Gene Benbow at benbow.gene@epa.gov.
To learn more about ASPCRO, visit ASPCRO’s website at www.aspcro.org or email mpage@aspcro.org for additional information.
State of the Fleet Management Report, Sponsored by GPS Insight
As has been the case for the past five years, PCT and Syngenta will present the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at NPMA PestWorld in San Diego. Past winners of this prestigious award, as selected by previous winners of the Crown Leadership Awards, include Norman Goldenberg, the inaugural honoree in 2014; Norm Cooper (2015); Tom Fortson (2016); Bob Dold (2017); and Dr. Austin Frishman last year. Profiles of each of the previous winners are featured here. Who will win the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019? The winner will be announced at the Crown Leadership Awards reception on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
Austin Frishman
Dr. Austin Frishman, owner and president of AMF Pest Management Consulting, is a legendary figure in the pest management industry. With a career spanning more than five decades, Frishman earned his undergraduate degree in entomology and his master’s degree from Cornell University, eventually earning a doctorate from Purdue University, where he was a frequent speaker at the university’s annual conference. In recognition of his career, Frishman received Pest Control Technology’s Professional of the Year Award in 1993; was named to the Crown Leadership Awards Class of 1998; and in 2002 he was inducted into Pest Control Magazine’s Hall of Fame. Today, Frishman continues to devote his time and energy to industry education and training.
Norman Goldenberg
In 2014, veteran PMP Norman Goldenberg was named the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Goldenberg graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in entomology. He worked for Orkin and held various management roles in the pest control industry before purchasing his own company in the late 1980s, Alert Lear Pest Control. Goldenberg joined Terminix in 1990, representing the industry’s interests at the local, state and national levels as vice president of government affairs. He is a past president of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), Florida Pest Management Association (FPMA), Project EverGreen and the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET).
Tom Fortson
A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Tom Fortson is a longtime leader and beloved presence in the professional pest management industry. Chairman emeritus of the Professional Pest Management Alliance, Fortson has spent more than 50 years in the industry, currently serving as vice chairman of Terminix Service, Columbia, S.C. During his distinguished career, Fortson has served on the South Carolina Pesticide Advisory Committee, the South Carolina Regulatory Review Committee, and the Clemson University Advisory Board. He also has served as past president of the South Carolina Pest Control Association and the North Carolina Pest Management Association, as well as on the NPMA board of directors. Additionally, Fortson is a nationally ranked master’s swimmer and is a veteran of the United States Navy.
Norm Cooper
A past president of the National Pest Management Association, Norm Cooper was one of the industry’s most passionate advocates. A native New Yorker, Cooper launched Abby Exterminating Services in 1954, a company he owned until January 1971 when he sold it to ESCO (Exterminating Services Co.). He stayed on board at ESCO, eventually becoming president of the exterminating services division. He retired from ESCO in 1996 and launched a successful consulting business, Norman Cooper & Associates. Cooper served as NPMA president in 1991-1992 and during his tenure created the association’s highly praised “Guardians of the Environment” branding, an initiative many credit with improving the industry’s image nationally and throughout the world. He passed away in 2016.
Bob Dold
A graduate of Denison University, Bob Dold is CEO of Rose Pest Solutions, Chicago, Ill. A tireless supporter of the professional pest management industry, Dold has served as president of the Illinois Pest Control Association and Indiana Pest Management Association, as well as on the Purdue Conference Planning Committee. In 1984, he was elected NPMA president, spending more than 180 days on the road in support of the association during a critical time in its history. A devoted family man, Dold and his wife Judy raised four children and spend a significant amount of time with their grandchildren, while simultaneously running a successful family-owned pest control business. Bob and Judy Dold received the prestigious National Pest Management Association Pinnacle Award in 2017.
