Sun Day Red doesn’t have to be Air Jordan
The launch of Tiger Woods’s new Sun Day Red apparel line was the worst kept secret in golf as of late, and public response to the first images of the brand was even more predictable. Early indications suggest that people aren’t crazy about the leaping skeleton tiger logo nor the odd three-word brand name. Even fewer appear to be in love with the apparel styles unveiled last night during an invite-only event, which included appearances by Tiger, TaylorMade CEO Dave Abeles, and Erin Andrews as emcee.
All of it seemed weird, but people are still going to buy the hell out of the brand. Because this is what golf sickos do when it comes to Tiger Woods.
While Sun Day Red apparel will remain a separate brand entity from TaylorMade and available in May, the influence of the golf brand’s marketing is evident. TaylorMade is terrible at choosing names for their products (Rocketballz, anyone?) and Tiger Woods is even worse. Are we really this surprised that a man who has shown a history of absurd fashion sense in his career would approve of these designs?
Poking fun of Tiger’s fashion is easy, of course, and not at all the point. Personal branding is no small feat and must be incredibly stressful and difficult for a public persona the likes of Tiger Woods. That’s why people pay millions of dollars to professionals to get it right. When everyone is expecting Air Jordan and you roll out TJ Maxx, however, you’re going to get some odd looks.
None of this means I won’t buy a few pieces for myself.
Look: golf fans are idiots. The entirety of the sports is predicated on disposable income and luxury. While pricing details of Sun Day Red have yet to be disclosed, you can anticipate this stuff won’t be cheap. The hoodies are cashmere for crying out loud.
SDR is going to be found in pro shops of every private country club and high-end public course. You’ll find the annoying Skeletor Tiger logo on middle-aged golfers who want to fit in or be cool. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Who are we to judge others for how they choose to spend their money for recreation?
My only hope is that Team SDR doesn’t price out the majority of golfers who truly look up to Tiger as a role model. His is a brand and image that transcends multiple socio-economic levels who live in areas with varying degrees of accessibility to golf. SDR will include non-golf apparel and footwear as well, which will likely broaden the entry point for many fans who don’t want to pay $100+ for a golf polo or quarter-zip.
During the LA launch party, TaylorMade CEO Dave Abeles suggested that SDR is a brand that will endure for decades. I’m not so sure about that. Tiger’s brand already has accessibility barriers working against it, unless they are extremely smart about pricing and marketing… two things at which TaylorMade is extraordinarily successful. As much as I like to ridicule that brand for goofy names, they sure know how to get people to buy products.
For the sake of comparison, Michael Jordan’s “Air Jordan” brand appeals to the masses while focusing on a demographic with extreme accessibility to the sport of basketball. All you need is a ball and a playground with a hoop. The sport itself has its own sub-culture that can also be intense and non-welcoming to some, yet able to be enjoyed by anyone. Golf argues it can be the same yet struggles with proving that to us.
It’ll be interesting to show how Sun Day Red will be accepted by fans following its rollout this spring. The styles will evolve and perhaps the logo will be altered. Tiger and his team have a real opportunity to become larger than his golf persona if they play this right, which should include a focus away from golf altogether.
