“The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall”

Company: Nike
Aired: April 8, 2010
Channel: ESPN
Appeal: Emotional, Negative, Endorsement



Eldrick “Tiger” Woods was once on top of the world. He had endless endorsements, adoring fans, and was possibly the most dominant athlete in a sport since Michael Jordan. So how did this highly acclaimed superstar and household name become the punch line for late night television hosts nation wide? How did one of the world’s most recognizable name and face become a nightly skit on SNL? My father used to tell me when I was younger, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” Nothing could be truer than in Tiger Wood’s case.

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Tiger Woods began his professional golf career in August 1996. He started off with a splash, signing endorsement deals worth $40 million from Nike and $20 million from Titleist. By April, Tiger won his first major, The Masters, setting an all time record of 18 strokes under par. He was also the youngest Masters winner ever and the first African American to do so. That year he set countless records and he skyrocketed to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking.

We all know about Tiger’s phenomenal success not just on the golf course but also in the advertising world. In 2008 he was the highest paid professional athlete having earned about $110 million from winnings and endorsements. If you named a company, I’d feel pretty safe betting my life that Woods had a contract with them. Besides the afore mentioned Nike and Titleist, he has inked deals with General Motors, American Express, General Mills, Accenture, Buick, TAG, Electronic Arts, Gatorade, Gillette and AT&T. (I’m sure there are more I could have missed)

Unfortunately, Tiger Wood’s flawless public image was about to go up in flames. On November 25th 2009, tabloid magazine The National Enquirer published a story claiming Woods had an affair with a nightclub manager. A couple dozen mistresses later and Tiger has virtually no sponsors left. Nike is the only company that has stuck with him through the heavy fire he has had to endure. Maybe they see something we don’t but Nike has always been a company to give second chances. They believe in rebuilding a person’s image to the point where they can once again be an important asset to their marketing strategy and campaign. Look at Kobe Bryant for example.


In the summer of 2003, a 19-year-old hotel employee in Eagle, Colorado accused Kobe Bryant, NBA future Hall of Famer, of rape. He had just signed a five year, $40 million contract with Nike before the incident. Like Tiger, they remained loyal to Bryant understanding that eventually the allegations would go away and his performance would overshadow the bad times. Bryant has regained his elite status as will Tiger in his upcoming years. I truly believe once Woods passes Jack Nicklaus for the most Major Championships, he will be viewed as a “hero” and all will be forgotten.

Nike’s most recent commercial was released on April 8th 2010. The ad was created by Wieden + Kennedy ad agency and contains thirty seconds of a somber Tiger Woods. The entire ad is in black and white and in the background there is an actual soundtrack from Earl Woods, Tiger’s dead father. The audio was taken from a 2004 interview of Earl for a documentary about his son. This is the first commercial to feature Eldrick since the scandal first breached public scrutiny. Enjoy!

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I’ve never been so torn on how I feel with a commercial! When I first watched it I thought it was the worst thing I had ever seen. But the more I watch it the more I understand and love the angle Nike is trying to play. The concept of Tiger’s dead father scolding him for his recent actions gives me the chills. Nike left just enough time for some of the smoke to clear before they began the extremely long process of rebuilding Tiger Woods as a brand. To put it in persepctive just how far Woods plummeted, on December 18, 2009 he appeared on the front cover of the New York Post for the 20th straight day. This passing the record previously held by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 on the World Trade Center. I'm glad this country has it's priorities in order. Anyway, the timing for the premiere was impeccable; being on the same day Tiger made his highly anticipated return to golf at the Masters Tournament.

Final Verdict: Risky play but I think they nailed it!

Here is an article from the Washington Post and their feelings about the ad.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/08/AR2010040803525.html