Crunch with no punch: Sorenstam misses the mark with Wheat Thins commercial

A word to Annika Sorenstam’s management team. STOP putting her in commercials with aging film and rock stars! And please try and make her look her best when she’s in front of the camera. Her recent Wheat Thins commercial portrays Sorenstam as anything but pretty. I even think she appeared “boyish".

Heck, even a dried-up old prune like George Hamilton (affectionately speaking, of course)showed a bit of character in relation to Annika who was covered head-to-toe in golf attire. Annika should have at least removed her cap and let those shiny blond locks appear. I’ll bet that if Natalie Gulbis did a “switcheroo” with Sorenstam she would have been decked out in her finest and most colorful golf gear with golden hair flowing, “ready for her closeup".

The recent Puma commercial featuring Erica Blasberg was much more attention-getting. The commercial, in stark white contrast has a colorful teenage Blasberg picking up Geoff Ogilvy in a golf cart. Very cute and memorable advertisement obviously targeted to a hip, young crowd. The “Pink Panther’s” recent Teen People’s “Best of Fall” live fashion event did more of the same to enhance Creamer’s image. Proper placement is everything!

I wonder who Wheat Thins was attempting to target?

As Ad Age’s Bob Garfield once stated in relation to a Sorenstam KFC commercial, it was the “latest egregious example of a clueless marketer chasing transitory celebrity without any thought whatsoever to relevance, of which Sorenstam’s casting reflects almost none".

With LPGA stars crossing over into television advertising they should consider the brand they will be “selling” to the public, who their co-stars will be and how they look “on-air". Don’t just take the spot for the publicity or the money because all of the “ballyhoo” could wind up hurting more than helping to create an image.

Good news Annika. You looked better in the Netjets commercial. A little makeup never hurts.

Photo Credits: © Wohba, TSN.