15 Old Golf Ads That Tried to Be Cool and Failed Miserably
From cringe-worthy catchphrases to misguided attempts at blending golf with extreme sports, these 15 failed ads show how trying too hard to be "cool" can miss the mark in golf marketing.
- Alyana Aguja
- 6 min read
In an attempt to make golf edgy and contemporary, some of the most legendary brands have introduced commercials that bombed in a big way. Whether by forced slogans, cringeworthy imagery, or ill-advised efforts to associate golf with rock ’n’ roll or extreme sports, these 15 ads point up the missteps of trying too hard to be “cool.” The end product is a string of cringeworthy commercials that fell short of the mark, leaving viewers more perplexed than awed by the real nature of the game.
1. Wilson Staff (1980s) – “The Great Escape”
Image from Wikipedia
Wilson attempted to present their clubs as an escape from the ordinary, but it was more like a bizarre vacation commercial. The slogan? “Take your game to the next level. Or escape it all.” Golfers aren’t so keen on “escaping” the sport, and it lacks a connection with the actual play experience.
2. Spalding (1995) – “Dare to Be Different”
Image from Wikipedia
Spalding’s commercial showed a golfer sporting neon, tossing a ball that appeared to go off with slow-motion fury as if to exclaim, “Cool!” It had the look of a gimmick rather than any serious effort towards innovation. The melodramatic look made the commercial resemble a cheap promotion for some low-budget 90s action film.
3. TaylorMade (2002) – “Nothing Feels Like a TaylorMade”
Image from National Golf Foundation
The commercial had a supposedly cool guy taking a tee shot with music playing and the phrase, “Nothing feels like a TaylorMade.” The photo was intended to imply that playing TaylorMade made you a legend, but it came off as a bizarre attempt to make golf rock n’ roll. It uncomfortably missed the mark that golfers don’t have to be cool to feel good on the course.
4. Nike Golf (2004) – “Where’s Your Tiger?”
Image from PGA of Canada
Nike attempted to ride Tiger Woods’ fame by introducing an ad with the slogan “Where’s your Tiger?” as though the solution to all golfers’ issues was just purchasing Nike clubs. The trendy vibe crashed and burned when it felt like an attempt to make money rather than a genuine tie to the sport. What most wanted wasn’t a gimmick but an improved swing.
5. Callaway (1998) – “The Big Bertha Era”
Image from LinkedIn
Callaway’s Big Bertha clubs had their time, but the commercials were rife with boorish attempts to be the “cool” option. In one commercial, a group of golfers “hit it big” with the club, but it quickly fizzled, as the sight of middle-aged men posing in a less-than-graceful manner didn’t quite resonate with young players. It was more like an effort to try too hard rather than really tapping into the spirit of what is so enjoyable about the game of golf.
6. Cleveland Golf (2001) – “You Can’t Handle the Truth”
Image from Wikipedia
A Cleveland Golf commercial parodied the iconic “You can’t handle the truth” line from A Few Good Men, but the commercial felt awkward and inappropriate in a golf environment. The effort to merge courtroom drama with a club advertisement was awkward and didn’t resonate well with the target market. The end result was an awkward and muddled message regarding confidence and performance.
7. Adidas Golf (2007) – “It’s Not a Game”
Image from CDNLogo
Adidas attempted to make their equipment seem like it belonged to “the serious” golfer with the slogan “It’s not a game.” The commercial, composed of slow-motion shots of golfers with solemn faces, attempted to make golf appear gritty and intense but very soon turned into something more hyped than hip. Golf isn’t that intense, and the lack of fun incorporated made most feel off.
8. Ping (1980s) – “We Know Golf”
Image from Golf Depot
Ping’s effort to be bold with “We Know Golf” was meant to suggest that they were the best brand in the game. But the hubris combined with cheesy, aging images of golfers in mid-swing generated an ad that seemed more like a corporate brag than an appeal to play. The campaign seemed arrogant and annoying instead of “cool.”
9. Wilson Staff (1990s) – “The Professional’s Choice”
Image from Wikipedia
Wilson’s effort to hype their clubs as the professional’s choice of the 1990s was undercut by the cheesy nature of the ad. The slow-motion shot of a pro golfer followed by the awkwardly located logo felt like something from an old public access program. It added nothing new to the equation and instead made using Wilson clubs seem uncool.
10. Nike Golf (2006) – “It’s Your Game”
Image from PGA of Canada
Nike’s “It’s Your Game” ad with the slogan used a peppy, rock-infused montage of golfers making dramatic shots. The catch? The spot came across as more of a commercial for an extreme sport than something refined and relaxing like golf. The hipness failed to work because it made the game appear more about posing than playing.
11. TaylorMade (2011) – “R11 Driver: Impossible is Nothing”
Image from Foremost Golf
TaylorMade attempted to associate its R11 driver with Adidas’s popular “Impossible is Nothing” slogan. This resulted in a confusing campaign in which the tagline conflicted with golfing’s nature—a game of patience and accuracy. The attempt at making a statement came across as forced and did not communicate the sport’s real appeal.
12. Odyssey Putters (2002) – “The Secret’s Out”
Image from Vitro Agency
Odyssey tried a cryptic ad in which golfers whispered, “The secret’s out,” after making a putt with their putter. Sadly, the strange acting and the manner in which the ad attempted to create hype over a putter totally destroyed the hipness factor, rendering the entire thing a secret too absurd to keep. It lacked seriousness and left viewers scratching their heads.
13. Wilson Staff (2010) – “Go Ahead, Take the Driver”
Image from National Golf Foundation
This advertisement has a golfer challenging others to “take the driver,” suggesting their clubs were too good for anyone else to play with. The concept was hip then, but the implementation seemed too brash and out of character for most golfers’ relaxed demeanor. The commercial seemed like an attitude mismatch to the sport’s reality.
14. Mizuno (1990s) – “Play Beyond”
Image from Wikipedia
Mizuno’s “Play Beyond” campaign was a montage of golf swings to some over-the-top music. Unfortunately, it was as subtle as a high school drama club skit, complete with melodrama and no humor. The ad didn’t stick because it did not understand that golf is part skill and part relaxation, not simply playing “beyond” anyone’s imagination.
15. Wilson Staff (2000s) – “Hit it Hard, Hit it Wilson”
Image from Drummond Golf
Wilson attempted to make their clubs appear “tough” with the slogan “Hit it Hard, Hit it Wilson,” but the effort to get golf more aggressive bombed. The notion that golfers had to “hit it hard” simply didn’t fit with the delicacy involved in the game. It seemed like an energetic commercial that wasn’t indicative of the sport’s nature, leaving the viewer confused about the real appeal of the clubs.