Woods during the second round removed the KT Tape logos so as not to give the company free publicityGETTY IMAGES
Tiger Woods once again sported KT Tape on the back of his neck during Friday's second round of the Open Championship, and company officials claim they "sold roughly double the amount of product they sell on [an] average day" due to the "fortuitous product placement" on Woods during Thursday's first round, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell. Woods, who wore the tape to help with a sore neck from sleeping wrong on Wednesday night, "does not have a deal" with the company, and execs were "pleasantly surprised when they saw the two strips of tape on the back of his neck." KT Tape CMO Russell Schleiden said he "had no idea" of Woods' intention to use the tape and added he expected the boost in publicity and sales to be similar to when Tom Brady wore the tape during the AFC Championship and when U.S. figure skater Mirai Nagasu sported the product during the Pyeongchang Games. Apex Marketing Group estimated that KT Tape received nearly $4M in "equivalent advertising from the two logos" visible on Woods' neck. On Friday, Woods decided to use KT Tape again, but "would remove their logos so as not to give them free publicity" (TWITTER.com, 7/19). GOLF.com's Josh Sens noted KT Tape on Thursday referenced Woods without mentioning his name when it "posted an offer on its website: '25% off golfer's flash sale.'" Schleiden indicated that traffic on the site "was up 300 percent" by mid-afternoon on Thursday (GOLF.com, 7/19).
