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SBD/August 31, 2011/Marketing and Sponsorship
PGA Tour Debuting New Spots Featuring Four Stars That Will Run Throughout Playoffs
Published August 31, 2011
The PGA Tour will launch four new 30-second spots on Friday, each of which will run on NBC, CBS and Golf Channel through the next three weeks of the FedExCup playoffs. The spots are a collaboration between the Tour’s brand marketing department and its ad agency, Austin-based GSD&M. Stars Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell and Matt Kuchar are the golfers featured in the spots, which highlight aspects of their personality. Fowler’s ad features his exploits as an action sports enthusiast and video from his teen days as a motocross biker. Johnson is revealed as an all-around athlete, swimming, dunking a basketball and working out. McDowell’s spot showcases his competitive grit and every-man qualities, while Kuchar is the ultimate family man who plays the game with a smile on his face. “What we wanted to do was capitalize on the unique personalities of these players and expand on the things that our fans might find appealing,” said PGA Tour Exec VP/Communications & Int’l Affairs Ty Votaw, who added the spots are an extension of the “These Guys are Good” campaign. Votaw: "Of the four, there’s an interesting mix of personalities that you’ll see come through in these spots.” He added that it does not hurt that Johnson won the opening event of the playoffs last weekend, The Barclays, and Kuchar finished second. The first spots will debut Friday on Golf Channel’s coverage of the Deutsche Bank Championship and run throughout NBC’s weekend broadcasts as well. CBS will carry them within its U.S. Open tennis and SEC football coverage. The Tour’s agreement with CBS provides it with inventory in other sports broadcasts. PGATour.com also will carry extended video of the players.
HIGHLIGHTING THE STARS: Votaw said the production is part of the Tour’s mission to highlights its golfers. “We’re at an interesting point in our history,” Votaw said. “We’ve seen the past couple of years that the No. 1 player in the world hasn’t performed as well and there’s been an emergence of young players who have captured the fans’ imagination while performing on big stages. At the same time, you’ve got some established veterans performing well. There’s this juxtaposition of the next generation and veterans, and the feedback we’ve received from fans demonstrates it’s something they’ve enjoyed watching. As we go through this evolution, it’s incumbent on us to make sure we create greater awareness for these players across all of the platforms we have available, whether it’s digital, PSAs or through the pairings on Thursday and Friday.”
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HIGHLIGHTING THE STARS: Votaw said the production is part of the Tour’s mission to highlights its golfers. “We’re at an interesting point in our history,” Votaw said. “We’ve seen the past couple of years that the No. 1 player in the world hasn’t performed as well and there’s been an emergence of young players who have captured the fans’ imagination while performing on big stages. At the same time, you’ve got some established veterans performing well. There’s this juxtaposition of the next generation and veterans, and the feedback we’ve received from fans demonstrates it’s something they’ve enjoyed watching. As we go through this evolution, it’s incumbent on us to make sure we create greater awareness for these players across all of the platforms we have available, whether it’s digital, PSAs or through the pairings on Thursday and Friday.”
