Gillette Gets Negative Publicity As Endorsers Face Controversies

Gillette's "Dream Team" Of Federer, Henry And Woods Have All Faced Controversies Recently

Gillette "had what seemed to be an advertiser's dream team" when it launched a marketing campaign in '07 featuring Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and France national soccer team F Thierry Henry, but the "unbeatable lineup is now giving Gillette razor burn," according to Johnny Diaz in a front-page piece for the BOSTON GLOBE. Federer in September "threw a temper tantrum at the US Open finals," in which he was upset by Juan Martin del Potro, and Henry last month "set off an international furor when he illegally touched a ball with his hand to set up a winning goal" in the France-Ireland World Cup qualifier. Now Woods "has captured headlines" with his Thanksgiving weekend car crash and subsequent reports of extramarital affairs. Boston Univ. advertising professor Chris Cakebread: "You could say it was the perfect storm of knucklehead athletes, all screwing up at the same time, costing Gillette a fortune in negative publicity. Thus the danger of using athletes, or entertainers, as endorsers for your brand." Despite the negative publicity, Gillette Communications Dir Mike Norton in an e-mail said that the company "will continue with the campaign." Norton: "At this time, we are not making any changes to our existing marketing programs." Diaz notes Woods' presence "in the ad world has been noticeably diminished since his auto accident." A Gillette commercial featuring Woods has not aired since November 29; Gillette during the November 29-December 7 period last year "ran a 15-second spot featuring Woods 25 times." Cakebread: "He is a dangerous, dangerous person for a brand right now. The guy's reputation has spiraled right down the sewer" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/11).

WINNING CURES EVERYTHING: In Syracuse, Chris Wagner wrote if Woods wins again when he returns to competition, the commercials "will continue, although the content will likely become more mundane in the near future," as "showing Woods having loads of fun won't play well right now." Wagner: "His Superman image ... will forever have a chink in its armor. Fans will still cheer for him, but my guess is their feeling for him won't be nearly as strong" (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 12/10). In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes if Woods "remains the world's best golfer, endorsement deals should remain available." Mushnick: "It's often explained to us that athletes who take big falls remain commercially viable because of the forgiving nature of the American public. That's baloney. It's not that we're forgiving, it's that our standards keep getting lower" (N.Y. POST, 12/11).

GUILT BY ASSOCIATION: In Indianapolis, Bob Kravitz writes the controversy around Woods "has a chance to affect him and any other high-profile athlete/endorser who makes millions on his good name and positive image." Endorsers at Woods' "rarefied level" like Colts QB Peyton Manning and NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon likely are "forced now to take personal inventory and wonder, 'How much privacy do I really have in my life?'" Kravitz: "The Pandora's box has been opened, and regrettably, there's no turning back now. ... In my eyes, Manning and other athletes are selling me products, not their morality. I've heard it said they are selling an image along with those goods and they have to live up to that image, but I'm not buying." Basketball HOFer Michael Jordan "has been selling shoes and almost everything else for decades," and he is "hardly an angel" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/11).

DEEP IN THE ROUGH: Golfers Ben Crane and Charles Warren Thursday said that they "never spoke" to Life & Style magazine, which quoted them as "making disparaging remarks" about Woods and his marriage in a story on the magazine's Web site. Crane was "quoted as saying Woods is a 'phony and a fake' and that Woods' wife knew about allegations of extramarital affairs." Warren was quoted as saying Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, "had stars in her eyes and maybe dollar signs too." But Crane said he "never said a word about anything." 4UManagement President & CEO Tommy Limbaugh, who reps Crane, said that a magazine official "told him the interview took place at the PGA Tour Qualifying tournament last week" in West Palm Beach. But the AP's Doug Ferguson noted Crane "finished 51st on the PGA Tour money list this year and was not at Q-School." Warren in a statement through his agent said that he "has not given an interview of any kind in two months." Warren "withdrew from Q-School before the final round" (AP, 12/10). Life & Style magazine said in a statement, "Our reporter spoke with two golfers who presented themselves as  Ben Crane and Charles Warren. We are taking these claims very seriously and investigating further." The article "has been pulled from Life & Style's main page" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/10). In DC, Paul Farhi writes under the header, "In The Media Feeding Frenzy, This Tiger Steak Is Served Rare." Farhi: "Two weeks after stories about the world's greatest golfer began detonating, much about this story has taken on the coloration of fact without the facts themselves" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/11).

Time Warner Says Golf.com Has Seen Traffic Jump Sevenfold Since Woods Story Broke

MEDIA FRENZY: The AP's Jordan Robertson reported the Woods story "has triggered a spike in traffic to Web sites" covering the daily developments. Nielsen indicated that OrlandoSentinel.com, whose coverage area includes the development Woods lives in, drew "about 1.2 million unique visitors the week of the crash, more than 2 1/2 times the number of visitors the week before." Time Warner said that Golf.com, which "averages 2.4 million unique viewers a month," has seen traffic jump "sevenfold since the story about Woods broke." SI VP/Communications Scott Novak said that the site "typically draws an audience that big only during major golf championships." Meanwhile, Hitwise indicated that visits to TMZ and Deadspin, which "both had scoops on the Woods story," were up more than 50%. Yahoo said that searches for Woods' name "have increased nearly 4,000-fold over the last 30 days" (AP, 12/10).

SUSPENSION WARRANTED? In N.Y., Hank Gola writes PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem has yet to publicly discuss the situation and that the "time is coming for him to address whether Woods -- the face of the PGA Tour -- should be suspended for conduct unbecoming a professional." Gola: "Suspending Woods is reasonable and it's right." Though it is "doubtful it will happen," Finchem needs to call Woods "into the principal's office, give him his fair hearing and, if his actions are as shameful as purported, suspend him" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/11). But ESPN.com's Bob Harig said the game of golf "really does need him" ("OTL," ESPN, 12/10).