Was Nike’s Tiger Ad (or is it Tiger’s Nike Ad) the Right Play?
Who cares?
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Image spots are more branding efforts than direct product messages. This was a coup in that regard, but it was much more. This advert has been on every major newscast, including leading last night’s Sports Center, this morning’s Good Morning America and every TV media outlet in between. The ad will be in 2011 edition advertising textbooks and will serve as a landmark case study in public relations.
The “1984″ Apple commercial Chiat Day produced aired but once; to this day, it has relevance and legs (and not the kind on your wine glass). This Nike ad is even bigger, because it has social applications, and it casts the world’s most popular athlete, by almost any metric.
Was it a slight-of-hand, diverting our attention? Sure. Was it exploitive of a dead man? Probably. But whatever you think about the commercial, it was effective. In terms of dollar-value of the media coverage alone, it was a landslide. In terms of Tiger, the reaction of the crowds and his performance today should be a resounding answer about the viability of his brand.
It may change Madison Avenue, but I think that to use words from a man who has passed away
out of contex( obviously)- is a bit of an insult( violation?) to the father. I seriously doubt that his reaction to Tiger’s exploits would have been so gentle and philosophical. We would have heard hurt and disappointment in his voice- and perhaps anger. Be careful what you say on tape lest it be used in the wrong way after you’re gone!
Tiger recaptures his brand at the expense of Dad… My gut tells me Earl would not have approved of the ad. Maybe this is one way Tiger is controlling his dad after years of being controlled by him?
I don’t care. Clearly this is an advertising stroke of genius….getting millions of dollars of free air time thanks to the pseudo controversy. Do you know I what I took away from it? He looks really tired, and were his lips always that big?
funny Marcy. At least you took something from it.