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An “Injection of kickassery” for Callaway’s New Marketing Efforts

Jan 30, 2012 | Filed Under: General News   Share

When Callaway announced that it had named Justin Timberlake as its new creative director some were wondering what he would really bring to Callaway’s marketing efforts.  Was Callaway moving away from advertising to its core customers – the 50+ set – or was it embarking on a new strategy?  The Callaway campaign launched during the Farmers Insurance Open last month answered some of those questions and showed that Mr. Timberlake can add marketing executive to his moniker of actor/singer. 

The marketing effort features golf pros such as Phil Mickelson and Annika Sorenstam using Callaway products to perform jaw-dropping golf feats on the Las Vegas Strip. One TV ad shows golfer Alvaro Quiros on a floating platform on the strip, hitting a golf ball 310 yards over the Bellagio fountain.  In another, several golfers including Annika Sorenstam hit balls from rooftop to rooftop along the strip. Helicopters fill in for golf carts.

Mr. Timberlake hopes the new marketing will give the sport a “nice injection of kickassery.”  Mr. Timberlake, who has been a paid endorser for Callaway for several years but isn’t in any of the new ads.  He worked with Factory Design Labs, a Denver ad agency that began creating the new pitch in April 2011.

Callaway is taking a cue from what is happening on the course.  Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Bill Haas, Ryo Ishakawa and a crop of other emerging young superstars are taking center stage and hopefully drawing a younger audience back to the game. 

“Being hip and contemporary has to be part of the marketing plan” in order to attract new and younger golfers to the brand, said Jeff Colton, Callaway’s senior vice president of global brand and product.

Golf has been on the decline globally over the past number of years and the growth prospects are not overly encouraging.  Equipment manufacturers, country clubs, TV networks and product manufacturers all have to find a new audience to grow their revenue because their tried and true consumer is spending less.  The question that needs to be answered is whether or not the youth market can prove an effective revenue source.

Despite its foray into “extreme golf” it is safe to say that Callaway will not forget about who its number one customer is.  No matter whether or not it succeeds at least this OEM is stepping out of the box.

Information for this article was derived from of Suzanne Vranica at the Wall Street Journal

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