The Tiger and Earl Woods advertisement works

   
Tiger will return to golf in 2 1/2 hours. He returned to product endorsement Wednesday night when ESPN and the Golf Channel ran his new Nike advertisement.

   Most of the reporters I've talked to in Augusta couldn't stand it.

    I liked it.

   Look, most commercials are variations on the same theme. After watching enough of them, you get the impression originality does not sell products.

   Nike has always been willing to gamble and, obviously, still does. In the commercial, a silent Tiger, wearing a cap with a trademark Swoosh, stares impassively into the camera as he listens to the voice of his late father, Earl.

   It's Tiger's face and Earl's voice. Earl says: "I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are, and did you learn anything?"

   I don't know Earl, never met him. What I know about him I know from what people have told me and what I've read.

   Was the commercial a cheap attempt to use his memory to evoke sympathy?

   Maybe. But I thought there was power to the ad. It offered one man's face, one man's voice and the lingering impression that Tiger wasn't thinking at all.

  

Comments

[GregLMac]

And...you must believe Tiger is sincere. I'd like to. Time will tell.

[Gene Powell]

Forgive me & buy Nike

[JD]

Tom get tigers @$@# out of your mouth!!! Geez you are so ignorant.

[John M.]

Tom, Earl Woods was a cheater as well. He essentially taught Tiger how to act. That's why the whole thing is creepy.

[Say What]

So using words from your dead father out of context and without his consent while simultaneously using your greatest failing as a husband and a father to sell golf balls is ok? I think we now know that the real whores are Tiger and Nike.

[JAD]

What does it have to do with a product? It has nothing to do with Nike or any Nike product, so how on Earth is it an effective commercial? Just because everyone is talking about it now? It's not like Nike needs brand awareness.

[RB]

Yes it worked. Lets reduce the complete destruction and humiliation of my wife and family to a sneaker commercial. His father was not exactly the role model in this dept BTW. Dead Wrong Tom.

[Da Ing Man]

Nike accomplished what they wanted to....love the commercial or hate the commercial, everyone is talking about it. And for every one person that claims that they will not ever associate with Nike again, 3 people will buy the Nike products. This commercial is about self awareness of an athlete. Tiger is wearing golf gear with a golf course back drop. Every person as an athlete can relate to whatever they are thinking when they are perform. Outside influences mentally affects their game. That's the ultimate theme of the commerical. Lets face it, Nike is one of the greatest ever in marketing and have been getting it right for decades. And for the record, Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer of all time. Let's just watch the man play golf......he's gonna win anyway!!

[greg]

liked it

[john]

Some of you people act like he cheated on you. You really need to get over yourselves. If you aren't married to or related to him what do you care? It is meaningless in your lives. And if it isn't you need to do some soul searching.

Oh BTW roughly 60% of all men cheat on their wives and in my experience the ones who make the biggest show of publicly hating someone else's behavior are usually at it themselves. So my guess is that at least one of these whiny complainers is all too familiar with getting some on the side.

Turn off ET, put down People and let it go. It's none of your business.

[Pantherheels]

I wish all of the hypocritical idiots would shut their mouths. For Tiger and his camp to approve this commercial says a lot in my book. If you believe Nike ran this ad to sell a set of irons, you're a f*cking dumba$$. They're top athelete is Tiger and the guy has handled this situatuion impeccably. Look in the mirrows, do-gooders! All of the haters and nay-sayers have now made Tiger bigger than before. He will win the Masters and re-write all of the record books. Also, the guy likes woman. I LOVE woman. If you don't then you're gay or a bitchy woman, and in that case, go to another site about figure skating or crew cuts.

Tiger,

the rest of us blue-blooded men are pulling for you!!!

[mtnbuddy]

Don't find Tiger's dad exactly a role model. Had a affair with Tiger's mother while in service in Vietnam with a wife and children in Kansas. Tiger's just carrying on a family tradition.