On The Green: FootJoy Abandons Ad Campaign; More Sex Talk
GOLF WORLD reports that FootJoy has ended its "Golf Gods" ad campaign, which consisted of a series of spots starring PGA Tour players such as Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III and Vijay Singh as "animated action heroes." FootJoy Dir of Brand Marketing Rob Kelley said that one reason the commercials "didn't resonate with customers was the popularity of FootJoy's previous 'Sign Boy' campaign, hinting the Sign Boy character's return was a 'possibility'" (GOLF WORLD, 6/28 issue).
SKINS GAME: GOLF FOR WOMEN's Kate Meyers writes, "The idea of using sex to sell a woman's sport seems decidedly retro. Yet the LPGA is facing decidedly modern marketing challenges as it struggles to find its niche in the competitive sports entertainment marketplace. ... The topic of sexing up women's golf draws mixed reviews from the pros. The younger generation seems to take the subject of sex and the Playboy.com poll lightly." Tucker Center for Research on Women & Sport Dir Mary Jo Kane said, "Everybody keeps saying sex sells. Sells what? Maybe it gets a blip in terms of people who write about it in the sports world, but does it translate to more sales on the ground? Does it make the purses bigger? Do corporate sponsorship and TV coverage go up? Show me the data that says that." LPGA player Helen Alfredsson said, "Taking your clothes off is a desperate act" (GOLF FOR WOMEN, 7,8/02 issue).
WHAT A CONCEPT! Nike Golf execs credit the company's new apparel concept shops "with helping the brand grow in seven product categories and jump 70[%] in sales for the last year." Nike Golf opened 150 in-store apparel shops, in green-grass and off-course shops in '01 and is expecting to open another 100 by the end of the year. Nike Business Dir for Apparel David Hagler said, "The Concept Shops have been a tremendous boost to the awareness of Nike Golf apparel. The presentations also demonstrate the style and breadth of our lines" (GOLF WORLD BUSINESS, 6/26).
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