When Callaway teamed up with YouTube golf creators Good Good in 2023, it looked like a perfect partnership. Now, a 15-second promotional video for their new Quantum driver has turned that collaboration into a PR headache neither side wanted.
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The entire ordeal starts with a controversial ad titled “The Driver” being posted to promote a new driver. It showed Good Good member Garrett Clark shoving fellow creator and Good Good Girls member Alexis Miestowski to the ground when she was reaching for his driver. The punch line, which comes next, made it worse.
“Do not touch my new driver,” Clark said. And the caption beneath the banner read, “You have been warned…”
Now, you could see Miestowski slightly grinning as she lies on the ground, making the scene seem like a joke. The entire concept could have been a tongue-in-cheek nod to Reebok’s famous 2003 Super Bowl commercial featuring Terry Tate, the linebacker who tackled office workers for breaking company rules. But whatever it was, this humor was not well taken by the golf world.
It left most questioning just one thing: who on earth approved this to sell a driver? At least that’s what Kevin Van Valkenburg of The Fried Egg was questioning.
“It just takes so many stupid decisions for this to make it into the world; it’s almost breathtaking that no one along the way was like ‘hand up, not trying to be uncool, but is there a better way to sell this driver?’”
Skratch Golf’s Claire Rogers was even more direct.
“Not to make it into this Big Thing,” Rogers wrote, “but what on earth are young girls supposed to think when they see something like this?”
The video has since been deleted, but this is the internet and so it’s not surprising that the video has been saved and reposted across various handles. Golf content creator Rick Golfs shared the ad on X and talked about them deleting the post.
“They deleted the video and Tweet,” he wrote. “The people spoke. Hopefully, this sends a message that golf doesn’t need to go for the lowest possible IQ audience. And even then, wtf was this?”
“The worst golf club ad ever made,” he also added. “What in the world were they thinking? Slam a girl golfer on the ground to start the video? I love Callaway clubs. Long-time user. No hate on Good Good for being successful. But this is so bad and cringe.”
Fans also criticized the ad on X:
“Who is this supposed to appeal to? Absolute garbage advertising strategy from a brand that should know better! @CallawayGolf 🤡,” said one.
“It just amazes me how many people this would have gone through and been approved by before being posted, and not single one stopped it,” said another.
“Not only hits a woman, but hits her in the back. Doubled down on the stupidity. Just completely ridiculous.” one fan said.
“Slamming a female player to the ground? That kind of humor is incredibly crude,” said one.
Now, finally, after all that backlash, Good Good has addressed the situation, and apologized.
“We posted a video to our channels that are not aligned with our values as a brand. We have since taken that content down, and sincerely apologize.”
However, this apology for many doesn’t mitigate the sting that many are feeling right now. This is because ad is coming at a time when female participation is at an all-time high.
Women now account for 28% of the traditional golfer population, according to the National Golf Foundation data, the highest proportion on record. More than half of the recent net participation gains in green-grass golf have also come from women and girls.
And that is where Good Good’s attempt at humor seems to have missed the mark.
In any case, if you didn’t know, Good Good Golf is a popular American sports and entertainment brand centered on a hit YouTube channel.
Founded by a group of friends, including Matt Kendrick, Garrett Clark, Stephen Castaneda, and Matt Scharff, the channel features fun golf challenges, matches, and friendly competitions that have made the sport exciting for a new generation. The group often receives credit for founding the YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, Callaway is a major American sports equipment brand headquartered in Carlsbad, California. The company designs and manufactures golf clubs, balls, apparel, and accessories.
Notably, Good Good Golf entered into a formal “partnership and collaboration” with Callaway on January 3, 2023. And it went beyond a traditional sponsorship or club deal. The agreement included Callaway golf clubs carrying Good Good branding. And more importantly, access to Callaway professionals such as Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele for content.
Meanwhile, Good Good would retain creative control of its videos. The deal gave Callaway access to Good Good’s rapidly growing young golf audience, while giving Good Good the backing and prestige of a major golf-equipment company.