From the New York Daily News
Review by Dan Wright in SRM 334 (section 3)
On March 25th Nike posted and shared an advertisement on Facebook and Twitter of Tiger Woods with the text “Winning takes care of everything.” This was posted after Tiger reclaimed the #1 golfer in the world ranking on March 24th. There has been a lot of criticism towards Nike with this ad due to the scandal of Tiger cheating on his former wife. It is also sort of ironic that he is back at the #1 spot after recently revealing that he is dating skier Lindsey Vonn.
I think the ad is just Nike being Nike. This is not the first controversial ad or athlete that they have chosen to endorse. Nike usually shows a flare or arrogance with everything that they do. Cockiness is always in their repertoire it is what sets them above and apart from their rivals Under Armour, Adidas, and Reebok. Nike thrives off of this type of advertisement and the athletes that Nike markets to do the same. The main uproar from this ad is more of the family type and liberal minded people. I’ve seen the majority of complaints from mothers and non-athlete males (who aren’t in Nikes target audience). Most athletes that see this ad just laugh and shrug it off.
This was only portrayed over social media. The ad couldn’t have cost more than cost of labor to make and went viral relatively fast. It is the new era of marketing and in the future I feel like these ads that push the envelope will become more and more dominant in the media world. I feel as if the world of huge costly marketing campaigns will soon find a rival in the small viral pictures and ads posted over social media outlets.
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Review by Dale Robins-Bailey in SRM 334 (section 3)
In the past couple of days Nike released an ad with a picture of Tiger Woods lining up a putt, including his slogan “Winning Takes Care of Everything.” The picture was released on Facebook and Twitter in light of Tigers recent return to form and with it the coveted title of number one golfer in the world.
There has been an outstanding response already to the ad with over 8000 likes and 2000 shares on Facebook alone creating a huge social twitter storm. Although many have been quick to congratulate Tiger on his return to the pinnacle of golf, many have been dissatisfied with Nike’s ad claiming it to be controversial and bordering on unethical.
After his sordid love affairs that lead to the end of his 5 year marriage with Elin Nordegren, Woods hit an all-time low which lead to loss of millions in sponsorship deals along with a slip down the rankings. It is because of this many are labeling the ad highly inappropriate because it suggests that his past mistakes are all forgotten in comparison to his golfing accolades.
Whether Nike’s ambiguity is a totally ballsy move or stupidly ignorant it remains to be seen, but they are sticking to the story that the meaning behind their publication is strictly in regards to Woods’athletic performance.
The sheer volume of the social media response has forced Nike into explaining itself.
"Tiger has always said he competes to win," Nike spokesman Beth Gast said in a statement. "When asked about his goals such as getting back to No. 1, he has said consistently winning is the way to get there. The statement references that sentiment and is a salute to his athletic performance."
Despite the bad press an poll by ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell 84% said the ad was ‘No Big Deal’ with only 16% calling it ‘Offensive’. ESPN’s very own Stephen A. Smith publicly supported the Ad live on First Take saying “I absolutely loved it!” Many people seem to think just the sheer number of people talking about it through the various media avenues, will only help bolster Tigers image and Nike’s revenue streams.
Nike has always supported Woods unlike two of their last high profile ambassadors; Lance Armstrong and Oscar Pistorius whose ties have been severed after recent controversies. They have now realized it is time to move forward now Woods is on the up.
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