If you're shopping for new vehicles and a certain major championship winner is pushing you towards a Buick, it might be time to rethink your motives.General Motors is cutting ties with Tiger Woods at the end of the year, in hopes of cutting back costs.
GM said in a statement Monday that it is looking to reduce costs, and that the star golfer also wants more personal time as he expects his second child.This is the second big company to drop Woods over the past year. In August of 2007, American Express decided the bang wasn't worth the buck for Tiger, claiming they wanted to "shift gears" in their marketing strategy.
GM's vice president for North American sales, Mark LaNeve, says the separation is the result of discussions earlier in the year and is not related to the company's campaign for $25 billion in loans from the federal government.
What is interesting with this news is if Tiger will continue to support the Buick events. The car company has been a long supporter of the PGA Tour, with two current tournaments, the Buick Invitational and the Buick Open, with the Buick Classic changing to the Barclays in 2005. Tiger has won the Invitational six times in his career and hasn't missed the tournament since 1997. The Open has also seen Tiger a lot, with his last visit coming in 2006 when he took the crown for the second time. With Woods' propensity to avoid any tournament without "major" or "WGC" attached to it, the Buick events might start seeing the top golfer off their field sheet without the endorsement requirements.
With that being said, here is the video of the Tiger Trap Buick advertising campaign.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-24-2008 @ 2:37PM
amazo said...
maybe it's not so much tiger losing his flair as it is GM and american express losing money hand over fist and trying to find a way to cut costs.
baka.
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11-24-2008 @ 4:18PM
Biebs said...
I don't understand the headline. GM is asking for a huge bailout from the government, the company is near bankruptcy, and the stock is practically worthless. Paying Tiger $10+ million/year makes no sense at all. In fact, if the government ends up bailing them out, how insulting would it be that all of the American people would end up "paying" Tiger his salary.
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11-24-2008 @ 6:04PM
Redpill said...
Tiger is not losing his flair he just has been plagued with injury. they will be sorry when he turns to full form. nike is sticking with him because they know he will heal and be great again.
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11-25-2008 @ 9:51AM
Phil said...
Tiger will be back. I'm not sure GM will be. He'll pick up new deals as time goes on while GM continues to stand at the whitre House door with their hand out.
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11-25-2008 @ 12:27PM
carol said...
Maybe Tiger Woods and some of his SPORTS MEGA STARS could still support the sponsors without getting millions of dollars. This would help by keeping advertising going and showing their patriotic duty as citizens.
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11-25-2008 @ 11:16PM
Ben Donatelli said...
I never buy a car on endorsements . I read critical reviews such as Consumer Reports before making a decision.
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11-26-2008 @ 10:33AM
nick said...
I think Tiger should give the money back to the stockholders, this thug has enough money to last a life time, give it up Tiger, you sent Obama about 10 million under the table.
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11-27-2008 @ 1:02AM
nickhasnutsonhischin said...
..dude,it must REALLY suck to be you...
11-29-2008 @ 6:53PM
Jesse said...
Nick,
I guess it just kills your racist punk moron peabrain that a black man is the greatest golfer in the world. It's got to also kill you that a black man is leading this country. I guess it would be to difficult to make you understand that the reason this country is in such a mess is because the "white thugs of Wall Street" have lost and stolen billions of dollars. I am sure that is ok as long as white people screw you. You moron
11-26-2008 @ 1:36PM
B.R.V. said...
Hey Nick, before you start posting put down the meth pipe and sober up! Those are some of the most assinine comments I have ever heard.......Tiger a thug?.......give me a break! I wonder if you look as stupid as you sound. I'll bet that you're a LOSER with nothing better to do than smear people to make yourself feel better about your miserable life. Please do us all a favor and crawl back under the rock or piece of sh*t that you came out from under.
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11-27-2008 @ 9:46AM
kennyjo said...
I take my hat off to Gm to realize that they cant afford to put the money out there for Tigers image and pitch. Lets look at Citi. Those idiots are being bailed out by the government and are still proceeding to put 400 plus million dollars, on the new New York Mets stadium without rethinking THEIR financial problems, Now they(Citi) are complete idiots for contuining with that contract!!
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11-29-2008 @ 6:31PM
Kevin Broughton said...
after watching the clip where Tiger gives away several Buick suvs, u know I've always been a fan of his, but seeing him talk and laugh with the golfers was incredible. He truly is a extraordinary guy. Forget the suvs, they palled around with the legend. absolutely can't wait to see him on the course. Move aside Jack.
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11-30-2008 @ 11:18AM
isidro garcia said...
Right now , GM couldn't endorse Woody Austin.
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11-30-2008 @ 12:54PM
Renard said...
When will companys just say they failed, Tiger
Woods should replace the CEO of GM, and American Exspress, everyone should
remember were GM, & AE, stock was before
Tiger Woods.
To lose Tiger Woods, is to say, I'm not smart enough to run a company. Billions of dollars in lines of credit, and still fail, how did they get to the top of there company in the first place?
RDE
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11-30-2008 @ 11:26PM
tricia said...
Tiger Woods has not lost his flair, GM can not affort to pay anyone let alone Tiger so they are cutting back where ever possible.
Anyone who does not appreciate a golfer like Tiger Woods is a complete uneducated Moron.
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12-08-2008 @ 6:45PM
Brad Clardy said...
Gm's financial debacle has nothing to do with the net worth of Tiger Woods or his saleability of his persona or golf abilities.
Its pretty simple, when the economy gets tight, the first thing to go is major 3rd party advertisement.....but when the economy gets better again....then the cost of retaining Tiger as a future sponsor of their products will cost them 4 legs and a Tigers tail.
http://bradswonderfulworldofgolf.blogspot.com/
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