Autodesk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Autodesk was named the Official Design and Make Platform of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Official Supporter of Team USA on August 6, 2024. The partnership positions Autodesk at the center of LA28's $1 billion+ temporary overlay and construction plan, with its software guiding the design, development, and delivery of 40+ competition and non-competition venues.

The deal is structurally distinct from typical sports sponsorships. Autodesk's software is the operational backbone of LA28's "no-new-permanent-venues" commitment, meaning the partnership delivers both brand exposure and genuine product integration. LA28's plan to retrofit and temporarily adapt existing infrastructure rather than build new permanent venues aligns directly with Autodesk's sustainability messaging and construction technology platform.

This is Autodesk's first Olympic sponsorship, arriving as the company undergoes a significant brand transformation under CMO Dara Treseder, including its first-ever creative agency of record (Giant Spoon) and a consumer-facing "Let There Be Anything" campaign. The Olympic platform extends Autodesk's shift from B2B software vendor to broader cultural brand.

1. OLYMPIC HISTORY & MARKETING PRESENCE

1.1 Partnership Timeline & Evolution

This is Autodesk's first Olympic partnership. The company has no prior Olympic sponsorship history. The LA28 deal, announced August 2024, represents a four-year partnership running through the 2028 Games.

Autodesk's first Olympic-related marketing activation launched in November 2025 ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, featuring three athletes with connections to technology and design. This marked the company's debut as a Team USA sponsor.

1.2 Milano Cortina 2026

Milano Cortina 2026 marks Autodesk's debut Olympic marketing activation:

• Team USA athlete campaign: Launched November 2025, featuring three athletes with connections to technology and design who embody the "design and make" ethos. Running across TV, YouTube, Meta, and LinkedIn. This is Autodesk's first-ever Olympics marketing effort.
• The campaign serves as a brand awareness play ahead of the main LA28 activation, introducing Autodesk to a sports audience for the first time.

1.3 Signature Programs

As a new Olympic partner, Autodesk is building its program portfolio:

• "Let There Be Anything" Campaign: Autodesk's broader brand campaign, developed with Giant Spoon, provides the creative platform for Olympic activations. The campaign spotlights customers using Autodesk technology to design and make things.
• Venue Design Integration: Autodesk Construction Cloud serves as a central tool for collaboration with thousands of stakeholders on venue design and delivery.

2. LA28-SPECIFIC INITIATIVES

2.1 Announced Plans & Positioning

Autodesk's LA28 role goes beyond sponsorship into operational partnership:

• $1B+ Temporary Overlay: Autodesk software supports the design and construction of LA28's entire temporary venue infrastructure. The "no-new-permanent-venues" plan requires adapting 40+ existing facilities, including the LA Memorial Coliseum, into Olympic competition venues.
• Autodesk Construction Cloud: Central collaboration platform for LA28's design and construction stakeholders across the multi-year build-out.
• Sustainability Narrative: The partnership anchors Autodesk's messaging around the built environment (42% of global carbon emissions), positioning retrofitting and adaptive reuse as both good engineering and climate action.
• Four-Year Storytelling Arc: CMO Dara Treseder has described the deal as "not your mom's brand partnership," emphasizing the multi-year strategic relationship over traditional logo placement.

LA28 Venue Specifics: Key venues requiring Autodesk-supported design work include the dual-venue Opening Ceremony configuration (LA Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium, announced May 2025), with SoFi reconfigured for swimming in Week 2 (38,000-seat temporary configuration, the largest swimming venue in Olympic history). Athletics moves to Week 1 at the Coliseum, which will host the Closing Ceremony and earn the distinction of being the first venue in history to host events at three Olympic Games (1932, 1984, 2028). LA28 announced a first-of-its-kind venue naming rights program in August 2025, with named venues including Intuit Dome (basketball), Honda Center (volleyball), Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios (squash), and Peacock Theater (weightlifting/boxing). Soccer venues in six cities nationwide extend the design scope beyond LA. Autodesk works alongside AECOM (design/engineering/construction management) and Sunbelt Rentals (temporary equipment) in delivering this infrastructure program.

2.2 Regulatory/Market Context

• LA28's commitment to no new permanent construction is both a sustainability statement and a financial strategy, reducing capital expenditure while leveraging LA's existing world-class sports infrastructure.
• The approach creates a compelling use case for Autodesk's AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) software portfolio, demonstrating capabilities in complex adaptive reuse at unprecedented scale.
• Potential long-term influence on how future mega-events approach venue construction, with Autodesk positioned as the enabling technology.

3. EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP & DECISION-MAKERS

3.1 C-Suite Leadership

• Andrew Anagnost - President & CEO since June 2017. 25+ years in product, business, and marketing strategy. Previously held multiple roles at Autodesk including SVP.
• Janesh Moorjani - EVP & CFO since December 2024.
• Steve Blum - EVP & COO
• Dara Treseder - CMO. Key driver of the Olympic partnership and brand transformation. Previously CMO at Peloton and head of marketing at GE Business Innovations.
• Raji Arasu - EVP & CTO
• Amy Bunszel - EVP, Architecture, Engineering and Construction Solutions (directly relevant to LA28 venue work)
• Debbie Clifford - EVP & Chief Strategy Officer
• Rebecca Pearce - CPO

3.2 Olympic Partnership Leadership

The Olympic partnership sits within Dara Treseder's marketing organization. Treseder has been the public face of the partnership, describing the strategic vision in multiple press interviews. Amy Bunszel's AEC division handles the operational software integration with LA28's venue program.

3.3 Board Members with Relevant Experience

Not publicly detailed in the context of the Olympic partnership. Autodesk's board includes directors with experience in technology, enterprise software, and infrastructure.

4. AGENCY & CREATIVE PARTNERS

4.1 Agency Model

Autodesk has moved from no formal agency-of-record to a multi-agency model under CMO Dara Treseder:

4.2 Known Agency/Partner Relationships

• Giant Spoon - Creative agency of record (appointed January 2025). Autodesk's first-ever AOR. Giant Spoon supports all major brand campaigns and brand-level creative assets, strategy, optimization, and measurement of brand media. Two-time Fast Company Most Innovative Companies honoree (#1 in Advertising category).
• Maximum Effort (Ryan Reynolds) - Creative and strategic partner since November 2022. Produces culturally relevant B2B marketing including the 2023 Oscars "Otto Desc" campaign and Walking Dead series finale activation. Operates via MNTN's creative-as-a-subscription (CaaS) model.

4.3 Notable Creative Executions

• "Let There Be Anything" (2025): 60-second spot starring Emmy-winner Tony Hale as God, traveling the world marveling at what Autodesk customers have designed. Debuted during an NBA Playoff game. Developed with Giant Spoon.
• "Otto Desc" Oscars Campaign (2023): Maximum Effort created a fictional Hollywood legend to honor the behind-the-scenes designers who use Autodesk software. Ran during the Academy Awards broadcast.
• Walking Dead Series Finale (2022): Maximum Effort's debut work for Autodesk, tying the brand to a major cultural moment.

5. COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

5.1 Market Share & Competitive Landscape

Autodesk is the dominant platform in design and construction software:

• Primary competitors include Trimble, Bentley Systems, Nemetschek Group, and PTC in various segments.
• Autodesk holds leadership positions in CAD (AutoCAD), BIM (Revit), and construction management (Autodesk Construction Cloud).
• The company has been transitioning from perpetual licenses to a subscription-based cloud model, with 97% of revenue now recurring.

5.2 Olympic Sponsorship Differentiation

No competitor holds an Olympic partnership. Autodesk is the only design and construction software company with an Olympic sponsorship at any level. The deal is distinctive because the product is genuinely integrated into Games operations: Autodesk software is used to design and plan LA28's 40+ temporary venue overlays, working alongside AECOM (LA28's venue infrastructure partner) and Sunbelt Rentals (equipment solutions partner).

5.3 Key Brand Messaging

• "Design and Make" platform for industries that shape the built environment
• Sustainability through adaptive reuse and reduced construction waste
• Technology enabling human creativity and problem-solving
• "Let There Be Anything" as the umbrella creative platform

6. KEY METRICS & BUSINESS CONTEXT

6.1 Financial Performance

Autodesk is a large-cap technology company (NASDAQ: ADSK):

• FY2025 Full Year (ended January 2025): Q4 revenue of $1.64 billion, up 12% YoY. Recurring revenue represents 97% of total.
• FY2026 Q2 (ended July 2025): Revenue of $1.76 billion, up 17% YoY.
• FY2026 Q3 (ended October 2025): Revenue of $1.85 billion, up 18% YoY.
• Annual Run Rate: Approximately $7+ billion in annualized revenue based on recent quarters.
• Advertising Spend: Under $100 million annually across digital, print, and national TV.
• Market Capitalization: ~$60 billion (February 2026)

6.2 Olympic Period Performance

Too early to assess. The partnership runs through 2028. Initial marketing activations began in November 2025 ahead of Milano Cortina 2026. The four-year timeline provides extended measurement opportunities that most Olympic sponsors do not have.

APPENDIX: KEY SOURCES

Official Sources

• Autodesk LA28 Partnership Page: autodesk.com/la28-games
• Autodesk Newsroom: adsknews.autodesk.com
• Autodesk Investor Relations: investors.autodesk.com
• LA28 Official Newsroom: la28.org/en/newsroom

Industry Analysis

• Marketing Dive: "Why Autodesk's 2028 Olympic deal is not 'your mom's brand partnership'" (2024)
• Marketing Brew: "Ahead of the Winter Games, Autodesk kicks off its first-ever Olympics marketing effort" (November 2025)
• The Drum: "Autodesk to lead $1bn green infrastructure plan for the LA 2028 Olympics" (August 2024)
• Adweek: Autodesk/Maximum Effort partnership coverage

Financial Filings

• Autodesk FY2025 Q4 & Full Year Results (February 2025)
• Autodesk FY2026 Q1-Q3 Results
• Autodesk Annual Reports via investors.autodesk.com

End of Research Brief