Tiger Strikes: Bold Move By Nike Drums Up Good PR During the Masters

 By Dana Gulick, Vice President, Awards - Elect

Tiger’s managed to once again commandeer the international airwaves – this time with a Nike ad that features Woods centered against the stark backdrop of a rolling fairway, staring earnestly at the camera as the ethereal voice of his deceased father booms back at him.

“I want to find out what your thinking was,” the elder Woods asks, words we’ve read dozens of times already this morning that will likely go down in infamy.  “… Did you learn anything?”

If there’s one thing Tiger’s learned, it’s to never underestimate the power of good PR.  After nearly three months of radio silence following his Thanksgiving car crash, he appeared on television and fired off a sterile apology that many viewed as too little, too late (see our analysis of the press conference here). Weeks later, Ari Fleischer was tapped to revive Tiger’s public image, helping the golf pro successfully navigate public scrutiny (and what had the potential to be a blistering press conference) with ease.  Smart messaging, adjusting on the fly and paying attention to individual reporters has helped Tiger seem relatable and slowly recoup his “every man” image – and now, with this latest ad from Nike, it’s hard not to view him as a picture of naivety,  one who strayed off course but can make his way back with a little help and a little forgiveness.

Another arguably brilliant stroke toward redemption of Tiger’s tarnished image. And a calculated move on Nike’s part, too – with 631,442 YouTube views so far and propagation across major news conglomerates since the ad leaked this morning, there’s plenty of good PR in it for the footwear and apparel company, too.

But that said, we know all too well that in the social media age, the fate of any brand lies in the hands of the public. So what do YOU think about this latest plot twist in the Tiger Woods saga?