Atlanta
The fallout from a controversial commercial is deepening for golf media firm Good Good after shedding two key partnerships in a matter of hours on Thursday.
The commercial posted final week confirmed Garrett Clark, one of many co-founders of Good Good, shoulder-checking Alexis Miestowski to the bottom as she went to the touch his co-branded Good Good x Callaway driver. The commercial rapidly drew immense backlash and was pulled down, with Callaway and Good Good each going through intense questions over how an advert displaying a violent act in opposition to a girl could be accredited and posted.
First, golf tools maker Callaway introduced it was severing ties with Good Good after a video selling a co-branded driver included one among Good Good’s co-founders pushing over a feminine member of their workforce.
In a while Thursday, Good Good introduced it was stepping away from its partnership with the PGA Tour to be the named title sponsor of a match in November, an occasion that had been heralded as the approaching collectively of golf’s previous guard and new influencers.
All of it makes for a surprising turnaround for a model as soon as seen as one of many main lights of golf’s new social media age. The lack of partnerships with two of the game’s main names represents an enormous setback in Good Good’s progress, a attainable risk to the corporate’s future and a possible turning level for the rising ecosystem of web golf that featured a break from the game’s conventional background.
The break with Callaway was the primary signal that Good Good’s makes an attempt at quelling the disaster weren’t going effectively after Clark’s assertion on social media Wednesday evening. The golf maker, which had been working with Good Good on a co-branded driver and reposted the video, introduced the cut up in an announcement on social media.
“Over the past a number of days, now we have listened and mirrored deeply on the damage and disappointment brought on by the video we reposted,” Callaway stated in a publish on X asserting the choice. “We heard from people who shared private experiences associated to violence in opposition to ladies, and their tales have been highly effective reminders that this concern touches the lives of far too many individuals.
“Unequivocally, violence in opposition to ladies is unacceptable and will by no means be trivialized, normalized, or used as leisure.”
Golf advert displaying man shove girl to floor taken down after backlash
Good Good Golf and tools maker Callaway are below hearth after the discharge of an commercial that includes personalities from Good Good the place one of many founders of the corporate shoulder-checks a feminine golfer to the bottom.
In its assertion, Callaway famous that its processes failed, with the corporate’s CEO earlier admitting that Callaway reviewed Good Good’s video and accredited it earlier than it went dwell
“On this occasion, our content material assessment course of was not complete sufficient. Now we have taken acceptable inner corrective actions and considerably strengthened our approval procedures to assist guarantee this doesn’t occur once more,” the assertion learn.
Callaway stated it would donate $1 million to organizations that work to “stop violence in opposition to ladies, present assets to survivors, and advance schooling and consciousness efforts,” the corporate acknowledged.
However even nonetheless, the corporate stated it understands many individuals really feel harmed by the commercial and that damage just isn’t simple to undo.
“We sincerely apologize to everybody who was damage, disillusioned, or offended by this incident,” the assertion learn.
The backlash in opposition to Good Good, particularly, has been intense this week.
A number of studies have indicated main golf retailers are pulling the corporate’s merchandise from cabinets, which might be a big blow to Good Good’s backside line if it went on for a prolonged interval. Whereas the corporate made its identify with social media movies showcasing their personalities taking part in golf, its merchandise gross sales make up a big portion of the corporate’s income.
In a video posted on Wednesday, Clark apologized for his function within the advert, and on behalf of Good Good.
“This isn’t, in any respect, what we stand for. The way in which this advert was obtained just isn’t how Good Good is and never what we stand for as soon as once more. I need everybody to know that. I don’t help (home violence), abuse or any of that,” he stated.
Clark supplied “some readability” on the thought behind the advert, likening it to the 2026 film “Obsession” directed by 26-year-old YouTuber Curry Barker.
Clark defined that, just like the film, he was purported to be obsessed together with his driver and anyone who touched it will develop into “possessed with the obsession.”
“Trying again, tremendous dumb advert idea,” Clark added. “Horrible advert normally. Not the best concept. … As soon as I watched it again and it obtained posted, my pores and skin was crawling. I used to be cringing. I imply, even simply minutes after I noticed it get posted, earlier than this surfaced wherever on-line, I believed it was the worst advert recognized to man.”
Clark described the feedback and criticism the advert obtained as “very justified,” however denounced the hate and dying threats Miestowski has obtained in her social media direct messages.
Good Good was based in 2020 and is among the primarily on-line golf media corporations that grew to become widespread in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. The success of Good Good and different corporations prefer it has sparked plenty of discourse over whether or not the boisterous personalities concerned within the firm’s movies are one of the best ways to advertise the sport of golf, which historically promotes a really staid and demure tradition.
The corporate’s recognition has grown to the purpose that legacy names within the sport, corresponding to Callaway, have tried to capitalize on its recognition with partnerships. The occasion with the PGA Tour, set to occur in Austin, Texas, later this yr, was one of many signature accomplishments for the rising firm.
The primary indication of hassle got here on Tuesday when Brian Rolapp, CEO of the PGA Tour, known as it a “fluid scenario” and didn’t verify the occasion would go forward as deliberate.
“We have been disillusioned at first. It feels like within the final 24 hours they’ve made some progress. We’ll proceed to watch the scenario and see the way it develops,” he stated in response to a query from CNN Sports activities.
Good Good introduced simply after 4 p.m. ET on Thursday that it will be pulling out of the occasion.
“After considerate discussions with the PGA Tour and cautious reflection, now we have determined to step away as sponsor of the tour occasion in Austin this fall,” the corporate stated in a assertion.
“We acknowledge that now we have work to do as a company, and our focus proper now could be on our workforce, our tradition and making certain we study from this example. We’re grateful for our relationship with the PGA Tour and recognize their partnership over time. We stay dedicated to incomes again belief, and we hope to work collectively once more sooner or later.”
In its personal assertion, the Tour stated, “We agree with their choice to make use of this time to deal with their group and the work forward. The PGA Tour believes in golf’s capability to carry folks collectively and create a welcoming setting for all.
“The match will proceed as scheduled from November 12-15, 2026, and we are going to present an replace on sponsorship plans at a later date.”
This story has been up to date with extra reporting.
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