PGA TOUR STARS AND OTHER SPORTS LEGENDS FEATURED IN AD CAMPAIGN FOR FIRST-EVER PGA TOUR PLAYOFFS FOR THE FEDEXCUP
Tiger Woods Ad Highlights Campaign; Jim Furyk, Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia
Star in Spots with Jerome Bettis, Phil Simms and Albert Pujols
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL (June 25, 2007) - The PGA TOUR begins to roll out a humorous, star-studded ad campaign this week to promote the first-ever PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, which comprise four tournaments beginning August 23 and concluding September 16. The new ads will feature four of golf's biggest names - Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia - alongside three playoff heroes from other sports: 1987 Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms, 2006 Super Bowl Champion Jerome Bettis and 2006 World Series Champion and 2005 National League MVP Albert Pujols.
"I thought it was kind of nice that Jim came to me for advice," said Bettis, now an NBC Sports analyst who stars with Furyk. "He didn't seem interested in any swing tips from me, but winning big in the playoffs - I know a little something about that."
"Late this summer, our players will experience the excitement, pressure and drama of a true 'playoffs' for the very first time and we wanted to put that into perspective for our fans," said Ric Clarson, PGA TOUR SVP, Brand Marketing. "Pairing our players with well-known champions from other sports and seeking their playoffs advice allows us to demonstrate this point in a humorous, memorable and effective way."
The four 30-second spots, created by the PGA TOUR and its advertising agency, GSD&M of Austin, TX, will air during network and cable golf telecasts, and in other sports programming on CBS, NBC and GOLF CHANNEL. The Playoff ads are the culmination of a year-long campaign focused on promoting the inaugural FedExCup, a season-long points competition. The $40 million campaign has been supported by print, online and radio executions throughout the season and featured Tiger Woods' PGA TOUR advertising debut earlier this year.
Woods once again shows off his creative side as he headlines this new set of ads in a spot called "Whistle." In the ad, Tiger is seen lacing up his spikes and exiting a locker room while whistling the popular sports anthem "Eye of the Tiger," made famous by the 1982 film Rocky III.
"This is a thrilling time in golf and these spots truly illustrate the excitement of the Playoffs while having fun at the same time," said Roy Spence, Founder and President of GSD&M.
The campaign also includes:
PRE-GAME MEAL - Super Bowl champ and former Pittsburgh Steelers star Jerome Bettis explains to Pennsylvania native Jim Furyk that the key to performing well in the Playoffs is a proper pre-game meal.
GAME FACE - St. Louis Cardinals slugger and 2005 National League MVP Albert Pujols shows six-time PGA TOUR winner Sergio Garcia how to put on an intimidating game face for the Playoffs.
PREPARATION - Super Bowl MVP and CBS Sports lead NFL analyst Phil Simms offers tips to two-time U.S. Open Champion Ernie Els on how to get psyched up for a big playoff game.
These three ads are now available to view at: http://www.pgatour.com/media/playoff/commercials/. The Tiger Woods spot will be available next week.
The four tournaments that make up the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup are (with ET television times): The Barclays in New York, August 23-26 (GOLF CHANNEL Thursday and Friday 3-6 p.m., CBS Saturday 3-6 p.m. and Sunday 2-6 p.m.); the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, August 31-September 3 (GOLF CHANNEL Thursday and Friday 3-6 p.m., NBC Saturday 3-6 p.m. and Sunday 2-6 p.m.); the BMW Championship in Chicago, September 6-9 (GOLF CHANNEL Thursday and Friday 3-6 p.m., NBC Saturday 3-6 p.m. and Sunday 2-6 p.m.); and THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola in Atlanta, September 13-16 (GOLF CHANNEL Thursday and Friday 1-6 p.m., Saturday on GOLF CHANNEL 12:30-2 p.m. and NBC 2-6 p.m., Sunday on GOLF CHANNEL 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and NBC 2-6:30 p.m.).
About the PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is to provide competitive earnings opportunities for past, current and future members of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world.
In 2007, the three Tours will compete in approximately 110 events for approximately $340 million in prize money. Tournaments are being held in six countries outside the U.S. and in 36 states.
In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, TOUR events also generate significant funds for local charities. In fact, the three Tours have surpassed the $1 billion mark in overall charitable contributions. The PGA TOUR's web site address is www.pgatour.com and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
About GSD&M
GSD&M is a leading marketing and communications company, founded in 1971 by friends who wanted to stay together in Austin after graduating from college. Through Purpose-Based Branding and DynamicCollaboration, GSD&M strives to serve up visionary ideas that make a difference to our clients' businesses. GSD&M has helped build many of the world's most successful brands including Southwest Airlines, PGA TOUR, BMW, MasterCard, AT&T and the United States Air Force. For more information go to www.gsdm.com. GSD&M is part of Omnicom Group, Inc. (NYSE:OMC).
