Home Depot highlights trade labor gap in new campaign

The Home Depot is shining a spotlight on the trade labor shortage with a new campaign that begins running today. A 30-second spot will debut during the Pac-12 Championship football game between Oregon and Washington today, along with video posts that will run on TikTok. This is the first time the Atlanta-based chain is putting paid media behind growing awareness of the trade labor shortage, according to a spokesman. The commercial juxtaposes laborers engaged in a day of work, which includes a visit to the home improvement chain, alongside football players before, after and during a day on the field. The text reads, “256 draft openings. 400,000 open trade jobs. There’s more than one way to go pro.” The ad also directs viewers to its PathtoPro.com website, where consumers can learn about job openings and trainings. The campaign was created by Home Depot’s in-house team and agency partner BBDO. “Our goal in launching this ad during the college football playoffs is to bring some much-needed attention to the issue and to help inspire the next generation of skilled tradespeople,” said Whit Friese, VP brand marketing and creative at the Home Depot, in a statement. He noted that the 5-year-old Path to Pro program, along with the retailer and the Home Depot Foundation, are hoping to narrow the trade gap and support local communities. The labor shortage, in which younger generations are not stepping up to replace some of the older electricians, construction workers and plumbers who are of retirement age, has been widely reported. The gap will be even more acute as new real estate developments get underway. The Associated Press reported that 82% of manufacturing companies have a labor shortage, citing a 2023 report from Xometry and the Women in Manufacturing Association. Of course, attracting more of such workers would benefit Home Depot, which has a significant professional contractor business alongside its consumer offerings. Earlier this month, the retailer reported a third-quarter sales decline of 3% to $37.7 billion compared with the year-earlier period, and net income of $3.8 billion. Home Depot last week said it will be acquiring International Designs Group, a renovation and construction-focused company.

Home Depot highlights trade labor gap in new campaign

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