Consulting firm ends sponsorship deal with disgraced american golfer
Consulting firm ends sponsorship deal with disgraced american golfer
A major sponsor of Tiger Woods announced last night it was ending its six-year ties with the golf star, saying he "is no longer the right representative" after a blistering sex scandal.
The billionaire athlete and father of two, once a ubiquitous figure with huge advertising value, has seen his image decimated by a string of affairs with a porn star, a waitress and other women, raising concerns of sponsors pulling away from golf.
"For the past six years, Accenture and Tiger Woods have had a very successful sponsorship arrangement and his achievements have been a powerful metaphor for business success in Accenture's advertising," the Dublin-based technology, management and outsourcing consultancy said in a statement.
"However, given the circumstances of the last two weeks, after careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising. Accenture said that it wishes only the best for Tiger Woods and his family."
The statement marked the end of a relationship with the 14-time major champion at the center of ad campaigns that once included slogans like "Go on. Be a Tiger," or "We know what it takes to be a Tiger."
Accenture, which had earlier removed an image of Woods from its website, said it would "immediately" transition to a new advertising campaign, with plans for a "major" effort to launch next year.
But it was only the latest in a series of companies to re-evaluate their sponsorship of the world's top golfer ever since Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade SUV into a tree and fire hydrant just outside his home in bizarre circumstances on November 27, unleashing a media firestorm.
Razormaker Gillette announced on Saturday it would phase him out of advertisements while he takes a break from golf, calling it a supportive move.
AT&T, which backs the US PGA Tour operated by the golfer's foundation, said in a statement, "We are presently evaluating our ongoing relationship with him."
However, Nike, Woods' largest corporate partner with a deal estimated at 40 million dollars a year, stood by him. "He is the best golfer in the world and one of the greatest athletes of his era," Nike spokeswoman Beth Gast said.
EA Sports, the video game company, also released a statement declaring the relationship "unchanged."
