Betting on Tiger’s

Back in the 90’s when golf was welcoming what it assumed was going to be its next superstar, Nike was already building a commercial identity for Tiger Woods. It was a logo that would be tied to greatness. Just like they managed with Michael Jordan, except this time they were by far the best and first choice, and easily the most lucrative option.

Decades later, the partnership ended between Nike and Tiger Woods, a move which puts us in uncharted territory at this scale. Jordan is still cashing in on his brand, in spite of retiring a long time ago. But Tiger is still playing.

This brings up a lot of questions about brand, legacy, and commercial viability.

A lot of people would agree that Tiger Woods is the Michael Jordan of golf. And in that statement alone it might explain why these two legends now have dissimilar paths. It would be unheard of for Nike to discontinue the Air Jordan Brand if Michael split from the company. For one, it is still massively profitable, and Michael Jordan’s narrative has not budged an inch in years.

For Tiger Woods, it has shifted in a big way. Severe injuries and personal problems making the headlines have shed more light on Tiger, and therefore altered brand perception too. There are some that see a superstar falling from grace to almost an irredeemable state. While others see a legend that has struggled with the burden of fame and success on a scale multiple times bigger than any other in his sport, or sports as a whole (no pun intended). Whether he has brought it upon himself or has been victim, Tiger’s visibility hasn’t diminished and he’s still very much front and centre in the golf industry. Would be unwise to believe that he no longer possesses the skills or ability to be a champion again?

This is where brand identity gets interesting. 

Tiger Woods just announced a new product line called “Sun Day Red” in partnership with TaylorMade. If you don’t know much about tiger, you’ll soon learn the significance of the 3 worded brand. Tiger Woods always wore a red top on the final day of any tournament he has played in, and that’s referred to as “Sunday Reds”. Tiger went to Stanford for college -red again. And his mother believed red was a lucky color for him because he’s a Capricorn. I get it, now you do too.

The new Tiger logo created for this brand is made up of 15 stripes that represent each of his major championship wins. There was obviously some thought put into all of this. But is there enough of a story built around this new image to make people buy in? If you read some of the reactions to this new logo online, you’ll witness something Tiger’s brand is experiencing that Michael Jordan’s brand hasn’t, rejection.

When they first fell in love with Tiger Woods brand.

When Nike introduced the “TW” logo for Tiger, it captured the hearts of consumers simultaneously and with the same intensity as their love for Tiger himself. It was simple, cool, and unmistakable.  When you saw that logo, you were seeing the emblem of one of the greatest golfers of all time. But that’s in the past now, and in its place is a symbolic name, a red tiger impression, and some connective story lines.

The problem is, at this stage in his career Tiger struggles to play injury or pain free, make cuts, or finish in a respectable position at the end of a tournament. So what value does this new brand offer us?

It offers consumers an opportunity to wager. A chance to be right or wrong about the future of Tiger Woods in his sport. Forget young Tiger who practically dominated golf to such a degree that made it a challenge to figure out who was going to come second. Those days are gone. This is a new chapter and with it comes a new brand, logo, and identity that might just be tied to one of the biggest comeback stories in sports.

Tiger Woods still has raving fans, a lot of them. Enough to ensure this new line will be profitable. But there are fans he has lost commercially, and they are struggling with the new look, his story, and his results all at the same time.

But what if Tiger Woods wins again?

I won’t need to write anything about that, we all know what will happen. This brand will ascend, and Tiger’s story will create new meaning for that new logo. Enough to make it a standout piece of any golfer’s wardrobe. There is a lot of potential here.

Are golfers prepared to walk away from Tiger’s brand, or are they willing to take a gamble, bet with their wallets, and eagerly waiting to share all over social media that their favorite golf icon has made a triumphant comeback, while they just so happen to be wearing his new logo to prove how right they were?