That tougher message was the theme of a recent Nike ad titled Awake, my favorite ad of the year so far.
The Nike ad may be offensive to those who don't quite understand sports culture, or work in extremely competitive environments such as sales, or Wall Street, and even politics.
Indeed, First Virtual, an Internet commerce firm, has developed an advertisement that can act as a tiny shopfront (imagine a Nike ad that would let you order a pair of shoes from within the banner), merging advertising and direct commerce.
As more developments evolved, Nike pulled an ad featuring Pistorius from its website.
The ad comes after Nike has had to sever ties with two other high-profile athletes.
And 2011 looks maybe even better: in the first quarter, SI Golf Group ad revenue is expected to jump 20%, thanks to new ad buys by Nike Golf and Mizuno, among others.
Nike spokeswoman Beth Gast said that the ad references Wood's refrain that he competes to win.
Annie Kessler, 25, in Columbus, Ohio, tweeted that the ad was a "poor choice" for Nike.
Ad Age suggests part of the problem was that Nike focused on what Woods had done wrong instead of on any specific Nike products.
FORBES: Don't Hire Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong For Your Ad Campaign
And Nike knew how to market that appeal -- with an ad in 2011 that showed the sprinter starting from blocks and the caption "I am the bullet in the chamber" together with Nike's "Just do it" slogan and logo.
Some think it's tasteless for Nike and Woods to use his father's voice in the ad.
But in the case of its newest ad, the one featuring Woods and five words that ring of that unforgettable scandal, Nike is wrong.
FORBES: Winning Doesn't Take Care Of Everything For Tiger Woods--Or Anybody Else
Mr. SETH STEVENSON (Ad Critic, Slate Magazine): The 2006 World Cup kicks off on June 9, and Nike and Adidas are already girding themselves for a marketing battle.
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