Unless you're new to Earth, recently thawed from a cryogenic slumber, or a harried Balihoo employee with limited social interaction, you've probably heard of Tiger Woods.  You've probably also been bombarded of late by the relentless coverage of Tiger's personal and professional dealings.  And whether you know or care an iota about the Masters and its gravity, you almost certainly know that Tiger returned to professional golf in last week's tournament.

In advance of Thursday's first round, Tiger's most prominent sponsor, Nike Golf, took the public by surprise with a stark acknowledgment of all that lead to that moment.  Their television ad, featuring voice-over from Tiger's late father and mentor, is contrastingly bare in imagery and complex in meaning. Viewers are brought uncomfortably close - physically and emotionally - to Tiger and his apparent remorse.  The ad has been met with predictably strong, if mixed, reviews.



If Tiger was a polarizing figure before, he's surely pitched a wedge into a new echelon of
public opinion now (pun reluctantly intended).  Love golf or hate it, most everyone has an opinion about Tiger Woods these days - and that opinion may have nothing at all to do with golf itself.  Even if much of the response is negative, the recent media frenzy has ensured that he is a topic of conversation, even among those who couldn't care less about his career.

Enter Nike, a smart and confident retailer with considerable marketing swagger.  When other prominent sponsors - well within their rights - chose to walk away from Tiger, Nike opted to remain.  When Tiger selected the Masters to make his much-anticipated return, Nike made another bold choice: to recognize the issue, establish their position, and engage the public.  Rather than remain silent and wait for questions or criticism, Nike went on the offensive; they chose the context for the inevitable conversation.

Those Nike folks are no dummies.  With so much of the world watching, the timing was ideal to capitalize on their relationship with Tiger; the critical component, and biggest risk, would be the message.  The key was for Nike to distinguish their endorsement of Tiger from an endorsement of his actions; this commercial quietly accomplishes exactly that.

Fan or critic, odds are that you'll have an emotional reaction to this campaign.  The public's general approval or disapproval of the ad, or of Tiger himself, is largely irrelevant in comparison to their viewership, their discussion, their Tweets, and their dialog in response.  It's a risk many advertisers would shun, and in fact many did; Nike manages to pull it off beautifully.

As advertisers, we should all show Nike's poise in the face of possibility.  A strong, well-defined brand will push the limits without sacrificing themselves or risking their audience.  Remember, Nike isn't out to make you like Tiger - they're out to make sure you keep talking about him.  And as you talk, kindly conjure their flickering logo in the back of your mind.