The News:
While “serious” brands such as Accenture and Gatorade dropped Tiger Woods like a hot potato when his extramarital affairs suddenly went public, the more edgy global footwear brand Nike took a calculated risk and stood behind him.
On the back of Tiger Woods’ emotional apology and return to the US Masters green, Nike aired a commercial that directly addresses his behavior and subsequent penitence. In the ad, the golf champion’s late father Earl returns from the dead and asks Tiger what he was thinking – and what he has learned.
Behind the News:
As experienced brand stewards know, use of celebrities in global advertising is a high risk – high reward proposition. In this case however, Nike’s risk is not as great as it seems.
Massive media coverage in the more English-speaking countries may have turned the champion into a temporary US brand liability, and Nike needed to address the issue head-on.
But in much of the rest of the world, where private life isn’t usually turned into a public affair, sex-scandal coverage simply raises awareness (as with Bill Clinton during his presidency).
As a brand that understands global markets well, Nike is well placed to reap rewards from the Tiger media reality show.
Tiger Woods is still the best golfer ever to play golf.
I wonder if Tiger Woods will standup to Ernie Els and Wayne Westwood this US Open 2010 on Pebble Beach, with all this stories about his still going around.
Tiger Woods is a very good golfer but his reputation as a cheating husband made him a bad character.-’.
After the recent issue, Woods remains my idol. I’m happy to see Tiger Woods on the golf court again.