Polishing a Tarnished Image: Nike's New Tiger Ad

I must admit that when the sex scandal with Tiger Woods began, I hesitated to talk about it with anyone- even close friends. While any person can try to sit back and place judgment on his infidelity, the only people who ever really deserve an apology from Woods are his family members who were directly hurt by his actions. Yet, because he chose to accept endorsement dollars from brands like Nike and Buick and because his anointed title of ROLE MODEL, Mr. Woods does have to acknowledge and answer to questionable behavior that tarnishes his shiny image as well as any brand that has hitched its wagon to him.

Unlike many of his other endorsers, Nike stuck by Woods. At the end of the day, Nike is about sports and, while Tiger Woods won't get a Husband of the Year award, he could still win the Augusta Masters and that coveted green jacket for a 5th time.

So, Nike found themselves facing the dilemma of how to reintroduce Woods to consumers and fans. On August 8th, moments before Woods premiered at the Masters, Nike put out this ad with the voice of Woods' dead father and mentor, Earl, being the only words you hear:

The sum total of this commercial is unforgettable: stark black and white with the golf champion looking rest-broken and somewhat scolded while Earl Woods asks, "did you learn anything?"

The public reaction has been "creepy," "moving," "disturbing," "bizarre," "genius," "obvious!" I don't think Nike intended to just play the dead daddy card. The idea seems to be to show an introspective and embarrassed Tiger Woods post-scandal, post thinking about how he has disappointed the people who matter to him most, and ready to return to sports and the golf course and do again what he does best. Be an athlete.

I find this to be a smart commercial. There was no Woods' ad Nike was ever going to be able to put out into the world that wasn't going to upset some people. At least this one attempts to bring Tiger Woods full circle and it also shows how (through Earl Woods' own words) his father would have judged him. In fact, it seems that his father was less about accusation and more inquiry. Perhaps Nike is urging us to do the same and simply ask Tiger, "did you learn anything?"

The TIP Sheet: Bad Press Shouldn't Get Worse

Whether you're a small business owner, a rising actor, or a city councilperson, the thought of bad press can completely freak a person out. When individuals feel threatened by bad press, they want to defend themselves, even when they haven’t been accused of actual wrongdoing. Over-reacting and being overly defensive are the worst moves to make and prove an absence of control.

The closed mouth catches no feet. So when a media crisis happens, be as non-reactive as possible. Breathe, focus, assess, and take real control.

Ask three questions:
1. Has my reputation or career been misrepresented by a biased article?
2. Will this press threaten my business success and consumer base?
3. Is reaction, like an interview or public statement, truly necessary?

If the spotlight isn’t actually focused on you, keep it off. Don’t solicit interviews or issue a press release. Instead, prepare short concise responses to serve as statements to the media as needed. Share these responses with your employees (and I mean all your employees), family members, representatives and anyone else who could approached for a statement so that everyone knows what should and shouldn’t be said.

Respond to direct media inquiries as quickly and personally as possible. Keep the answers contained and don’t get too conversational or chatty. Maintain a cool head and strive to not let the situation go from bad to worse.

Big Strategy. Small World.

Ideally, the best crisis management employs a plan that was put in place before the crisis presented itself. With certain, predictable situations, it’s easy to imagine all the things that can go wrong. But, when it comes to taking a brand or person overseas, it’s more difficult to foresee exactly what can and will go awry.

In 2007, Richard Gere was supporting an AIDS awareness campaign in Delhi alongside Bollywood beauty Shilpa Shetty. Gere jokingly hugged Shetty and kissed her cheek. The result was effigies of the two burned in streets and arrest warrants issued for both of them by a court in Jaipur.

Apparently, what they did was illegal! They violated India’s public obscenity laws. Gere issued a sincere apology and eventually the situation calmed itself.

Every city and every country has its own psychology, philosophies, and laws. This means you can’t relate to the public in Korea with the same strategies you use to relate to New York. You can easily offend and enrage, and in Gere’s place, break laws and cause an international incident. There’s no way to know all the moves that will offend, even when hiring a consultant. Just have an outlined plan in place, react quickly and intelligently when the unimaginable happens, and sincerely apologize where you can.