Reaction to Woods' TV ad: Edgy to creepy to brilliant
Nike's controversial TV commercial featuring Tiger Woods and the voice of his late father first aired Wednesday night, and also 15 minutes before ESPN telecast his first shot Thursday at the Masters.
The commercial, which calls out his personal problems as he returns to competitive golf, has been hailed as both "edgy" and "creepy" by advertising critics.
The stark, black-and-white TV ad shows a solemn Woods, looking directly into the camera while the voice of his father is heard, speaking about taking responsibility: "Did you learn anything?" says Earl Woods, who died in 2006.
It marks the first TV ad for Woods since revelations of infidelities last November and a stint in rehab.
Steve Hall, who writes about the industry for the AdRants blog, told the Washington Post that reaction was mixed, but used "weird" and "creepy" to describe his own reaction.
An Adweek critic, however, sees it much differently, and said it was smart to play the "dad card" in the ad.
"I think it's totally brilliant for Tiger, because it does all the rehabilitation for him and he doesn't have to say a word," said Barbara Lippert of Adweek. "He just has to stand there and look blank."
During his rehab, Woods has repeatedly said he strayed from the values instilled in him by his parents.
Experts say it will be a year or more before any major new companies sign Woods. Even then, it will depend on whether he can return to his winning ways.
After his first round at the Masters, Woods was questioned about the ad and he called it "apropos".
"It's what my dad would say," Woods said.
• Associated Press contributed.