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With the re-crafting of Tiger Woods’ public image in full swing, Nike has produced a provocative 30 second commercial featuring the world’s No1 golfer.

The commercial made its debut on US sport network ESPN and The Golf Channel last night, on the eve of Woods’ return to competition at The Masters where the 34-year-old has won on four previous occasions. Woods is returning to golf following revelations of infidelity in November and a stint in rehab for sex addiction.

In the austere commercial, Woods stares directly into the eye of the viewer without speaking while the voice of his late father Earl is heard. Earl Woods is the man credited with his son’s early success.

“Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive to promote discussion,” Woods senior is heard to say in the ad. “I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are, and did you learn anything?”

Nike is one of the few companies to have stood by golf’s first US$1billion earner while Gatorade, Gillette, Accenture and AT&T all abandoned Woods following the scandal.

It is not the first time the sportswear giant has used its troubled athletes in commercials. Basketball star Charles Barkley infamously stated “I am not a role model” in a similarly-themed spot. It followed his outspoken beliefs that it was up to parents and teachers to educate children after he accidently spat on a young girl during an NBA game.

“I think the media demands that athletes be role models because there’s some jealousy involved,” Barkley argued.

“It’s as if they say, this is a young black kid playing a game for a living and making all this money, so we’re going to make it tough on him. And what they’re really doing is telling kids to look up to someone they can’t become, because not many people can be like we are. Kids can’t be like Michael Jordan.”

Another of Nike’s key spruikers, seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong baited doubters of his ability following his comeback from cancer while debate and rumours raged in the European cycling press regarding the American’s supposed use of performance-enhancing drugs.

“Everybody wants to know, what am I on,” Armstrong quoted in his commercial. “What am I on? I’m on my bike, busting my ass six hours a day.”

Article found here: http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1037109

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