PHOTOS: Lambertville Provides Backdrop for Dawn Dish Soap Commercial

(Photo: Steve Chernoski)

Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) was looking for a way to demonstrate the monumental cleaning power of its Dawn dish soap, and the City of Lambertville wants to help promote local business, so the two joined forces on Sunday to host a massive and messy “community dinner” from 5 to 8 p.m.

P&G quickly filled all the seats at the 2,000-foot-long dinner table stretching from Bridge Street to Delaware Avenue on North Union Street after sending out invites to city residents.

(Photo: Steve Chernoski)

The three-course meal was designed to be a challenge to clean up, featuring salad with balsamic and oil, spaghetti with a red sauce, and dark berry cobbler. P&G made the mess to show how a single bottle of Dawn can handle the whole job.

Of course it was all filmed, and will wind up as a television commercial, but many residents got into the festive community spirit. Town fathers hope that allowing Lambertville to be used as an advertising set will enhance the local economy.

(Photo: Megan Ruhmel)

“The event will help boost our local businesses and tourism through the national exposure we receive,” said the city in a statement. “It will be shared with Dawn’s more than 1 million followers on social media.”