I couldn’t let this one go without comment – hilarious – not sure its the best sports commercial I’ve ever seen but a fantastic bit of video, done right, for the right reasons. Professional Golfers – Ben Crane, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, & Hunter Mahan have formed the PGA’s exclusive boy band . . . “Golf Boys” for no other reason but to promote a lighter side of golf and open the doors to a new audience.
According to a release, the video is sponsored by Farmers Insurance who suggest they will donate $1,000 for every 100,000 views it receives on YouTube. Harmless fun right? I think it goes further, and engages another segment and opens the door for very causal golf fans or even unfamiliar audiences. In a previous post about the New Era Cap ads, I highlighted the resurgence of creativity and my excitement about the prospect of breathing some life back into advertising.
I’d hate to think what the Tiger Woods scandal did to turn these segments off golf. According to reports, even when Tiger was off with an injury in 2008 – ratings for the third and fourth rounds of events he normally played in dropped 47%. That is an immense hole to fill for advertising revenue given that it is often seen as a ‘one star’ sport. I’m glad to see that there are other ‘personalities’ in golf that can build back some of the reputation and open the channels of communication – even if they are lighthearted.