Tiger is back for the Masters! What a shocker. NOT.
I knew Tiger would not miss the Masters are you kidding me?! The man is GOLF. No one I repeat NO ONE was fixated on golf before Tiger Woods came and said he was “Cablasian.” He is making a bold move; exposing himself to the same media that was so eager to air out his dirty laundry when the infamous “quiet as kept” Tiger Woods took a fall amid his admission to sex addiction. Tiger’s recent scandals took him out of the game for a minute, but he feels he is strong enough to handle it for this week’s comeback.
Nike was one of the few sponsors that stood by Tiger. Okay, let’s be honest, when these athletes mess up, do you honestly think Nike is going to drop them?! Please. People still idolize athletes no matter what, because you know why? As long as they are on the court, field, gridiron, course – scoring and dominating – it does not matter. I believe Nike dropped Kobe after his transgressions with the snow bunny in Denver, but picked him right back up when he was on fire after Shaq left. Kobe was League MVP, a scoring title, championship and for all that he was puppetized (Nike MVP Puppets). Yes, Nike jumped back on Kobe’s wagon, so I am not shocked they did not diss Tiger.
Now let’s get to this Nike spot. I thought I would never say this, but I do like it. Let’s examine it. Tiger reverts back to a time when he was a little boy here. And that voice, it’s not God the Father, but it is his deceased father, Earl Woods. We all know Tiger idolized this man when he was alive and I am pretty sure he still does. Earl was the man who was always by Tiger’s side, always. It was obvious that Tiger cared a great deal about his father’s approval on any and everything.
In my classes now, we talk all the time about the messages, ideas, and benefits that are communicated to the consumer. Here we have Nike with this spot released the day before Tiger makes his comeback. I truly did not know what to expect, but I liked it. This spot is not glorifying Tiger. It does not have a big “Welcome Back” banner with streamers and a marching band. It shows a seemingly remorseful Tiger listening to the voice of his late father. I thought it was very compelling.
Earl Woods is speaking to his son, and you can tell that Tiger is feeling the pain. Tiger’s facial expression says it all. I have not only hurt my wife, mother, and children; but I have also hurt the one person whom I respect so much, that it is too painful for me to even forget about. This spot is good. Nike is sending the message that it is not all good when you make the mistakes. You still have to answer for what you’ve done. I think it was good move on Nike to send out this message. Yes, Nike stood by him, but they are not giving him a pass.
SPEAK ON IT =)
Rebecca K. Roussell
