Golfsmith Goes After Casual Golfers in Its New Ads Celebrating Truly Terrible Shots

For every beautifully executed golf shot, there are thousands of not so beautiful ones—shots that land in the water, or the woods, or get carried away by an ill-timed gust of wind. Golfsmith is finding the humor in such moments in its new ad campaign that launches today. Three 15-second TV spots and one 60-second spot running online and on Golfsmith's social channels poke fun at missed golf shots and golfers' subsequent tantrums. After one bad shot, a golfer says, "Freaking wind," and the voiceover says, "Yeah, you tell that wind." In another spot, a golfer yells at himself after a poor shot, and the voiceover says, "Go easy on Steve, Steve. That was the club's fault." Golfsmith then encourages golfers to pick up new clubs or gear because "every shot is an opportunity for your next one." "We hope to increase customer loyalty by showing that Golfsmith is the best place for golfers of any level to shop for their game by showing humorous, relatable moments that then segue into why customers should visit our stores," Kim Lewis, vp of omnichannel marketing at Golfsmith, told Adweek. The campaign, developed by agency Preacher, helps clarify Golfsmith's tagline, "Anything for golf," Lewis added. "Our stores have always been the place for golfers of all skill levels, but we've never done a good job of communicating that through our messaging," she said. "That was the major goal of this campaign. It clarifies that 'Anything for golf' does not just mean that we're a place for people who would do anything for golf, but that we will do anything for golfers. And we have anything golfers need for their game." The ads also set Golfsmith apart from other golf brands, said Seth Gaffney, founder and chief strategy officer at Preacher. "So many golf brands, through their marketing, appeal to the avid player," he said. "There are only so many perfect shots you can show, so Golfsmith is setting out to appeal to a broader audience than just the hard-core golfer. The word we used was 'approachability.'" CREDITS Client: Golfsmith International Director of Brand and Creative: Brian Thompson Vice President, Omnichannel Marketing: Kim Lewis Vice President, Seasonal Planning and Marketing Partnerships: Debbie Adams Agency: Preacher Chief Creative Officer: Rob Baird Chief Executive Officer: Krystle Loyland Chief Strategy Officer: Seth Gaffney Copywriter: Joe Hartley Art Director: Cody Ackors Agency Producers: Stacey Higgins Brand Director: Amanda Cruz VanAntwerp Business Affairs: Susan Conklin Production Company: SMUGGLER Director: Randy Krallman Executive Producers: Patrick Milling Smith, Brian Carmody, Allison Kunzman Head of Production: Andrew Colon Line Producer: Alex Waite Director of Photography: Corey Walter Stills: Dylan Gordon Casting: Sonnenberg Casting Edit House: CARTEL Executive Producer: Lauren Bleiweiss Editor: Edward Line Assistant: Kai Yu Music: Marmoset Music "La Mancha" by Don & the Quixotes Mix: Rohan Young/LIME Assistant Sound Engineer: Mark Nieto Finish House: Cartel Senior Flame Artist: Jim Bohn Colorist: Marshall Plante @ NTropic/LA

Brand Marketing

Golfsmith Goes After Casual Golfers in Its New Ads Celebrating Truly Terrible Shots

Funny, relatable moments on the course

Christine Birkner

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Christine Birkner