HexClad Presents Bronx Buds

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

HexClad Presents Bronx Buds is a groundbreaking kids animated baseball series that has pioneered an innovative sports sponsorship by weaving HexClad, a premium cookware brand, into the narrative world of the show on the YES Network, transforming brand integration into entertainment for families and young fans.
The partnership comes to life through Papa Sardine’s pizza restaurant, a story-driven setting designed to organically and creatively showcase HexClad cookware within the series.
 

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

This work represents excellence in engagement by redefining what it means for fans—especially young fans and families, to meaningfully connect with both sports and brands. Rather than asking audiences to engage with advertising, the partnership invited them into a story-driven world where the brand was part of the entertainment itself. Engagement was earned through characters, narrative, and emotional resonance, not interruption.

The partnership sets a new benchmark by proving that kids-first, animated sports storytelling can drive both massive reach and deep connection when brands are embedded organically into the narrative. By introducing a premium brand to children through trusted characters and shared family experiences like cooking, the work expanded engagement beyond the screen and into real-life moments between parents and kids. This multi-generational, emotional form of engagement goes beyond traditional metrics and creates long-term brand familiarity and loyalty.

Looking forward, this work demonstrates a scalable model for the industry: brands, leagues, and networks can move from sponsorship to story ownership. It shows how sports properties can cultivate fandom earlier, brands can build lifetime relationships, and content can serve as the connective tissue, pushing the industry toward more authentic, audience-first engagement strategies.

Objective

The primary objective was to create a first-of-its-kind sports brand partnership that reimagined sponsorship as storytelling, moving beyond traditional advertising to build a fully narrative-driven integration that families and young fans would actively engage with. The goal was to demonstrate that a premium brand could be woven authentically into a kids animated sports series without disrupting the story, while enhancing the entertainment experience.

A key objective was to introduce the brand to a younger audience in a meaningful, values-led way by connecting it to shared family moments, such as cooking together. By embedding the brand into the world of the show, the partnership aimed to foster early familiarity and emotional connection, allowing children to recognize the brand alongside their parents and carry that recognition forward as they grow.

The creative solution was the creation of Papa Sardine’s pizza restaurant, a custom in-story environment where cooking, community, and baseball naturally intersect. This setting enabled organic, story-first brand visibility that felt authentic to the characters and the audience.

Ultimately, the goal was to pioneer a new model of sports sponsorship, one that builds emotional connection across generations, drives long-term brand recognition, and seamlessly integrates brand, content, and audience engagement.

Strategy & Execution

The strategy centered on reaching sports fans at an earlier age by introducing kids to sports storytelling through animation, meeting them where they already engage with content. Recognizing that fandom begins in childhood and is shaped through entertainment, the partnership focused on using fun, character-driven animated stories to build emotional connection to baseball.

Execution began at the creative development stage, with the creation of Papa Sardine, a recurring character who anchors the brand integration in a natural, story-first way. Set inside Papa Sardine’s pizza restaurant, the brand comes to life through visual and narrative moments, including Papa Sardine wearing HexClad aprons and creating fun, kid-friendly pasta and pizza recipes while using HexClad pots and pans. These moments were designed to feel playful and authentic, reinforcing familiarity while adding to the storylines.

The series was distributed across a multi-platform ecosystem, airing on the YES Network and streaming on the Gotham Sports App, with social extensions to reach families wherever they consume content. Short-form moments and shareable clips extended engagement beyond episodes.

By combining animated storytelling, lovable characters, and seamless brand integration, the partnership aligned with how sports fans, especially kids and families, discover sports, build emotional bonds, and begin lifelong fandom.

Organizations

• YES Network

  HexClad Cookware

  TZero Studios

Links

•   Website

Featured

• Michael Kay

  Meredith Marakovits

  Nancy Newman

  John Flaherty

Credits

Justin Shenkarow
Co-Founder
TZero Studios

Tom Borowski
Co-Founder
TZero Studios

Jason Panzer
President
HexClad Cookware

Jared Boshnack
Executive Producer, and Vice President of Production
YES Network

Jason Feneque
Senior Director, Distribution & Special Projects
YES Network

Daniel Winer
Co-Founder and CEO
HexClad Cookware