Strippers, porn stars, infidelity, mysterious car crashes, divorces and the alienation of countless fans don’t matter. Winning does.
That’s according to a new Nike ad which pictures Tiger Woods lining up a putt behind the slogan, “Winning takes care of everything.”
Nike Golf released the ad on Facebook and Twitter after Woods regained his No. 1 ranking in the world, following his victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Monday. Woods, who first earned the top spot in 1997 and held it for a record 281 weeks from 2005-2010, had not held the spot since losing it, following the sex scandal that was revealed in late 2009. He still has not won a Major since the 2008 U.S. Open.
Underneath the quote, “Winning takes care of everything,” it reads “Tiger Woods, World #1” and on the lower right it reads “Victory,” next to Nike’s signature Swoosh logo.
Crisis PR expert Mike Paul told Advertising Age that the ad is “brazen” and risks angering fans and media. Woods, who is currently dating popular skiier Lindsey Vonn, has received tons of personal criticism for years, in what should have been his playing prime, and now could be returning the focus to what created his personal and professional tailspin in the first place by unnecessarily provoking an audience beginning to embrace him again. Nike has also recently dealt with the negativity of its former endorser, cycling cheater Lance Armstrong.
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“This could get fans fired up. Woods is better than that. Nike is better than that … Every human being who has a heart, as well as a head, understands that’s its always about more than just winning,” Paul said.
The 37-year-old golfer had been the richest and most successful active athlete in the world when everything came crashing down, ultimately resulting in a divorce from Elin Nordegren. He was ditched by sponsors, like Gatorade and Accenture, and dealt with injuries and poor play, dropping him as low as No. 58 in the world.
The Nike Golf post brought mixed reactions from followers on Facebook.
“No. Winning does not take care of everything. Nice message that you are sending to children,” one commenter wrote. “So it doesn’t matter what kind of person you are, what your morals are, as long as you win? What a crock.”
Another follower wrote, “Not sure I agree with this, but must admit I was rooting for him.”
Woods is undeniably back among golf’s elite again and according to one person on Facebook, Nike is getting what it wanted, too.
“Exactly what Nike wants…us talking about this ridiculous message,” one person wrote. “It worked Nike! Congrats!”