Titleist: The number one ball and the number one ad campaign in golf

The money spent on golf advertising today is at an all-time high, and it is not going down anytime in the foreseeable future. What I often wonder is how the executives at certain companies can decide that some of these advertising campaigns are actually a good idea. Who decided to market the Bridgestone golf balls, which are geared toward the low-handicap player at $36 per dozen, with the slogan “Boom-It” in front of a background that looks like one of those 1970’s barber shop polls?

I saw another ad in Golf Digest this morning that made me think I should have gone into advertising. The ad is for a new hybrid, and the picture shows two young kids playing golf, with one of them about to throw his ball back into the fairway while his friend’s back is turned. The ad reads, “Dude just get a J-Max". I’m still not exactly sure what it is about this ad that bothers me: perhaps it is the fact that the kid is wearing a mesh hat; perhaps it has to do with my general dislike of the hybrid movement; but most likely I think I am bothered by the fact that this company tries to imply that the problem with the situation is a long shot from the rough, when the real problem is a serious character flaw in this kid who is about to cheat his friend. Punk. Just another example of why America is in trouble.

Back to my point- ads like the two I mentioned above ensure that I will never buy the product in question, while Titleist’s marketing of the Pro V makes me want to buy a lifetime supply even though I know I have no use for them. The Titleist commercials that feature several tour players discussing their personal preferences in ball flight, course design, and even women, are by far the preeminent series of commercials in all of golf marketing because they can be slightly funny but still have class, they acknowledge that the game can be played differently and enjoyed differently by everyone, and they are not over the top with sound effects, sports cars, David Ferhetty, or Aaron Baddeley (see Cobra or McGregor commercials).

I prefer my golf products to be presented inconspicuously; Titleist’s department does this better than anyone. With the way most companies are choosing to pitch their products, the Pro VI will be the number one ball in golf for a long time.