Last January, the Atlanta based Home Depot chain of home improvement centers bought the leading Internet window covering vendor Blinds.com, based in Houston. Blinds.com is a national advertiser on Rush Limbaugh with Limbaugh himself voicing their spots.
Home Depot has publicly stated that they do not intentionally advertise on Rush Limbaugh, but their ads were caught airing on occasion on scattered local stations. But with Home Depot now the parent company of Blinds.com, that changes the whole picture. I have attempted to contact Home Depot several times, but I had yet to get a reply which specifically mentioned Blinds.com.
After I heard yet another Blinds.com spot voiced by Limbaugh which has been posted in their entry in the Stop Rush database, I sent yet another inquiry. But I got the same stock response:
The Home Depot is neither a sponsor nor has it committed to advertising
to these programs. We occasionally buy a national syndicated news
segment that could air during the local news on a station that airs this
program, but again I can confirm we do not advertise on this show. We
have strict guidelines in place to ensure the programs we support
reflect the quality of our brand. Our advertising campaigns have one
simple objective ? to communicate with audiences in the most effective
way possible.
Feedback from customers like you plays a large role in helping us
maintain these standards. Your reference number is 53145408.
Thank you,
The Home Depot-Customer Care
2455 Paces Ferry Rd.
Atlanta, GA. 30339
1-800-553-3199
thdCustomerCare@homedepot.com
I have since sent a new reply, but not by E-mail or phone. Instead, I mailed a letter which read as follows:
As you may recall, Home Depot bought Blinds.com earlier this year. Unfortunately, Blinds.com is an advertiser on Rush Limbaugh with Limbaugh himself voicing their ads. I got a stock reply saying that Home Depot does not advertise on Rush Limbaugh. Yesterday, I heard another Blinds.com ad and sent yet another inquiry through your web site. They gave me the same stock answer.
As a result of Home Depot's non replies to my inquiries, enclosed is a cut up Home Depot card. I hope that you will give me a reply about your Blinds.com subsidiary being a Rush Limbaugh advertiser. Right now, I am boycotting Home Depot.
I'll give further updates as I receive them. In the meantime, I encourage others to send a message, not to Customer Care, but instead to their Executive Offices at the Atlanta address given above.
Blinds.com entry in the Stop Rush database
Home Depot's entry in the Stop Rush database
The Boycott Rush Limbaugh Sponsors Facebook page