Horror movies can be violent. Golf ads usually aren’t. That is the short version of why a Callaway campaign blew up this week.
The ad was for a co-branded driver with Good Good and Callaway. It shows a man rush towards a woman as she reaches for his golf clubs. He shoves her to the ground and then stands over her and menacingly says “Do not touch my new driver.”
Critics say the ad treats domestic abuse as a casual joke. Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick said the spot was “intended to be a parody of the movie Obsession.”
Obsession is the horror hit of the year: a lonely man, Bear, wishes for his crush, Nikki, to love him “more than anyone in the f*cking world.” The wish doesn’t go as planned. Nikki’s obsession with Bear ends up ruining both of their lives. The indie film made a fortune because it let people talk about the dangers of obsession they’ve witnessed in their own dating lives.
The idea for the ad was that the man was as obsessed with his new Callaway driver as Nikki was obsessed with Bear. Kendrick said the execution “missed the mark.” The problem is, Obsession can show a relationship turning violent because the frame is already horror. When the frame is a humorous golf ad, the severity of what’s being portrayed doesn’t translate.
The reaction was immediate and ugly in both directions. The video came down. Callaway CEO Chip Brewer said the company had approved it and that approval “should never have happened.” Then the partnership started coming apart in public, with Kendrick accusing Callaway of approving the ad, asking Good Good to take the fall, and walking away.
