I've written before that while I can appreciate it, I don't fully understand why golf holds such an obsession with people. But, while watching the British Open yesterday, I became somewhat obsessed with watching Tiger Woods.
He is perfect. His skin tone is gorgeous and he has a beautiful smile. He's built well and he looks great in his clothes. He seems to be a gentleman. He's very polite when being interviewed -- he seems to have good manners. Plus he has one of those names that seemed to predestine him for his career.
My husband kept saying...watch his swing. He doesn't move his head at all.
I'm watching. I'm watching. Perfect.
While I don't fully understand why people like golf, I know a lot of you don't understand how anyone can like advertising. But, when something is done extremely well, I'm sure you can appreciate it.
There's a new Nike Golf spot that is mesmerizing. It seems to be an art director and copywriter spot, one of those rare times where the creative team had an idea and no one else on the project felt the need to add their thumbprint to ruin it.
Go watch Swing Portrait. Sheer perfection.
It's a great low stress, low impact form of exercise. It's actually quite easy to swing the club and play a decent game. People who play a horrible game and give up on it quickly are all making the same mistake. Let the club head do the work. Your job is to deliver the club head to the ball. You don't swing for the fences like in baseball. Strength can be a hinderance. Tiger Woods is graceful because that's exactly what it takes to win at the game. Sure, he may have significantly more muscle, muscle control and muscle memory then I do but I'm within sight of breaking 100 on a real course and I have on more then one occaision finished the course with the same ball I started with. It's because I learned to let the club do the work. If it was all about muscle there wouldn't be so many sticks in the bag. All too often you'll see players pull out the wrong club for the shot they're going for and try to muscle the ball down the fairway. That never works.
Gambling is illegal at Bushwoods and I never slice!
Posted by: dean | July 23, 2006 at 01:45 PM
It is somewhat mesmerizing. But I'm trying to see what part the copywriter played...
Posted by: Larry Jones | July 23, 2006 at 04:35 PM
Nice vid, I agree.
The one game I do not play but would like to is golf.
Like dean says, people don't understand the game. And even when they do they make themselves crazy over a couple of mistakes.
Still, I have my own physical and financial issues to deal with first. Then lessons, I guess.
Posted by: Kevin Wolf | July 23, 2006 at 04:42 PM
Dean --
... I never slice!
Woo-hoo!! :)
LJ: But I'm trying to see what part the copywriter played...
Obviously, he/she is a copywriter of few words...get it? Copywriter of few words?
:)
Coulda been the copywriter's idea -- or the copywriter could've focused on the music part (which I thought was great.)
Kevin, golf -- like everything else -- is way too expensive.
Yeesh. It's a fortune.
Posted by: blue girl | July 23, 2006 at 06:12 PM
I don't have strong feeling on golf, but much like bowling, I don't get a rush by watching it.
Posted by: Adorable Girlfriend | July 24, 2006 at 11:09 AM
I tried watching golf, tennis and bowling when I last tried to quit smoking.
I was back to a carton a week after one weekend.
(just kiddin'! One pack a day is seriously bad enough.)
Posted by: Michael Bains | July 24, 2006 at 01:51 PM
You guys! You are totally missing out on being able to make fun of the golf announcers....
Here's what one guy said yesterday....make sure you read it as I am using my best British accent. And make sure you read it as a very earnest, low sort of whisper. *Very* intense.
Ernie Els steps up to the Tee. He trails Tiger at this moment in time. This is historic! He's one shot back. He needs a birdie on this par 5. This magnificent, specatular hole!
He must not think of the past! He must not think of the future! He must live in the present! He must! He must focus on the process. (Say process with a long *O*)
Um.
Guess how many times I said....Think of the pro (long o) cess -- all weekend long?
Yes! I *drove* it right into the ground....for a birdie, don't you know!
Posted by: blue girl | July 24, 2006 at 01:59 PM
Hhmmm... Ok. Alright. Perhaps I'll try watching golf again.
One day, I really need to consider not giving all my "extra" money to ex-wives, so I have some with which to play the dang game. TAXES are SO cheap in comparison!
{shakin'head}
Posted by: Michael Bains | July 24, 2006 at 02:38 PM
errhg... Tag closed. {-;
Posted by: Michael Bains | July 24, 2006 at 02:39 PM
Well it was in the preview!
Posted by: Michael Bains | July 24, 2006 at 02:39 PM
? ??
Posted by: Michael Bains | July 24, 2006 at 02:40 PM
Larry, the copywriter has to tell those silly art directors what to do! ;-)
As for Tiger, I think he's a lot like Batman. When he has the uniform on and is playing, he is amazing and provides plenty of thrills. When he is off the course, he changes into Bruce Wayne: nice, dull, and loaded.
Posted by: Brando | July 24, 2006 at 02:44 PM
LOL, BG! UC's got HBO, I admit it -- I just watch Sex and the City when I cannot find anything else in the few hours I actually watch TV a month.
Posted by: Adorable Girlfriend | July 24, 2006 at 02:44 PM
Somebody, not naming names, MICHAEL, let the tags open!
:lol:
Posted by: Adorable Girlfriend | July 24, 2006 at 02:45 PM
Somebody, not naming names, MICHAEL, let the tags open!
:lol:
Posted by: Adorable Girlfriend | July 24, 2006 at 02:45 PM
I must admit it -- It was *I* that left the italics tag open!
I was living in the past! Wasn't thinking of the pro-cess like I should've been.
Brando,
the copywriter has to tell those silly art directors what to do!
You'll get *no* argument here at this end!
Skimmer! I mean, Slicer! Are you reading??
:)
Posted by: blue girl | July 24, 2006 at 02:51 PM
Wow! I got confusecated, double-postedly-called-out AND a reprieve from the hostess, all in one wabi sabi kinda post!
Not sure there're many American art directors who could fully appreciate this one, BG. You ARE Cosmopolitan, m'Lady.
Posted by: Michael Bains | July 24, 2006 at 03:20 PM
I don't watch golf, though I've been to the Memorial tourney a couple of times since I lived near by and I went with friends, but I was so sad to see the photos of Tiger's loss all over the newsstands this morning. Poor dude, like the grief isn't hard enough without all of the rags carrying pictures of him in tears.
Posted by: Claire | July 24, 2006 at 04:11 PM
Never got golf. Couldn't watch it, didn't want to play. But I could always watch Tiger. Perfection is always mesmerizing and some of his shots left me thunderstruck.
(I'm racking up Blue Girl points here with my word choices, right?)
But golf without Tiger was always just picures of pretty scenery with a lot of badly dressed people getting in the way. Until I saw The Greatest Game Ever Played.
Book's pretty good too.
Now I think I understand. It's about trying to be perfect, and in that way it's more like an art than a sport. Nothing more wonderful than human being putting their whole selves into getting something right. Not something we see much of in America these days.
Still, I wouldn't want to spend an afernoon watching Monet paint.
Posted by: Lance Mannion | July 24, 2006 at 07:29 PM
this comment thread is confusing me. copywriter what? oh yeah, i forgot, i'm not in advertising. i don't think i'm expected to know that.
anyway ... speaking purely as a consumer type ... and, i guess as an appreciator of tiger woods and having a general understanding of who he is and what he stands for in the sports world (and being neither a golf player nor understander) i think that nike is ad is SUPERFANTABULOUS.
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