A popular YouTube golf brand partnered with Callaway to make a commercial that featured…a woman getting trucked?
Golf club manufacturer Callaway has issued an extended apology for their part in the Good Good Golf advertisement which showed the latter’s male co-founder shoving a female employee to the ground.
In the now-deleted ad, which drew backlash and was accused of making light of violence against women, Garrett Clark pushes over professional golfer and content creator Alexis Miestowski before shouting: “Do not touch my new driver.”
That backlash has been acute. A summary from FOS reporter David Rumsey:
- Callaway CEO announces investigation into ad approval
- PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp calls initial statement disappointing; won't commit to Good Good Championship's future
- Golf Channel postpones Big Break x Good Good premiere after Golf Galaxy drops show sponsorship
- Golf Galaxy + Dick's Sporting Goods remove Good Good merch from online retail sites (previously had a nationwide deal)
I’ve got some theories on what potentially went awry here. The commercial is bad, but beyond that, it’s surreal. The ad is inhuman, and I’m not just referring to that violence against a woman aspect (more on the backlash later on).
So here’s the banned commercial, plus a lesser-seen full version that offers clues as to why this turned into a disaster: