Storied Relationship with Retailer Now Spans Two Decades
Disney Advertising will kick off the 20th anniversary of its longest-running sponsorship on Saturday, August 27, when ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot begins the 2022-23 college football season. To commemorate this milestone and two decades of brand collaboration, ESPN will televise segments of its season-opening two-hour show (10 a.m. - noon ET) live from The Home Depot Store Support Center headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia during one of the company’s associate appreciation events.
“It has been incredible to collaborate with The Home Depot for the past 19 seasons,” said Theresa Palmieri, Vice President, Disney Advertising Sports Brand Solutions. “In our industry it’s extremely rare to see such longstanding relationships and we are proud of the way we have been able to collectively enhance the college football season for fans over time.”
For this one-of-a-kind celebration, ESPN’s College GameDay team worked with The Home Depot and sports marketing agency Octagon, to create a GameDay-like environment with elements such as a Demo Field, a Jumbotron and other production-specific elements that help bring the show to life. Atlanta-area Home Depot associates will be invited to attend the show in-person and will be able to enjoy a similar experience to what fans do each Saturday during football season, including a cheer card painting contest, the chance to win prizes from Home Depot store lockers, tailgate-inspired food and the opportunity to participate in its annual cornhole tournament. The Home Depot will also be honoring several associates who have been with the company for 20 years or more at the event.
“Being a part of college football’s greatest moments week to week has been such an honor for The Home Depot for the last 19 seasons,” said Melanie Babcock, Vice President of Integrated Media at The Home Depot. “This partnership has not only brought on great opportunities to showcase our home-improvement expertise, but it brings pride to our associates who get to see the brand on the biggest stage during the football season.”
During the show, ESPN host, Marty Smith, will sit with Ted Decker, CEO & President of The Home Depot, to discuss his thoughts on the significance of this collaboration over the past 19 seasons and how it has enriched the college football experience for fans across the country. Additionally, the show will feature a message from ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, thanking The Home Depot for the company's support throughout the years.
Over the last 19 seasons of College GameDay, The Home Depot team, in collaboration with its sports & entertainment partner, Octagon, has visited more than 70 schools and universities. College GameDay Built by The Home Depot has originated from 91 cities, welcoming more than 1.6 million fans to attend College GameDay events on site. To top it off, the iconic College GameDay bus has traveled nearly 350,000 miles from coast to coast to help entertain fans across the country.
Further activations during the college football season will include the utilization of a custom Home Depot 20th season logo, which will be used on various in-show and on-site elements throughout the season; weekly vignettes that will look at some of the great moments from College GameDay over the past two decades; distribution of 20th season gear including the iconic orange hard hats; and a thank you message from College GameDay talent at the end of the season.
Media Contacts:
Kristen Smith | Kristen.T.Smith@Disney.com
Tyler Pelfrey | Tyler_Pelfrey@HomeDepot.com