THE ANGELS-. Tiger Woodsin a red jersey on Sunday, became as recognizable as a champion of the Masters with a green jacket. Only for Woods it’s no longer a Sunday redshirt.
Five weeks after Woods and Nike announced that their relationship had ended after 27 years, Woods, 48, said it was “the right time in my life” to develop his own brand in an expanded partnership with TaylorMade Golf.
The brand is called “Sun Day Red” and men’s clothing (golf shirts, hoodies and outerwear) will be available online in the United States and Canada starting May 1. The plan is to expand their line to include footwear, along with women’s shoes and children’s clothing.
The logo is a tiger with 15 stripes, one for each of its elders. What if he wins another major? “We’re going to have to remake the brand,” she said with that famous smile.
It was quite a spectacle on Monday night, more of an event than an announcement. David Abeles, CEO and president of TaylorMade Golf, was so excited about the new brand that he promised those in the packed room that they would remember in 10 or 20 years where they were when “Sun Day Red” was launched.
Here are some details on why this deal is important for Woods and a bold move for TaylorMade, which until now focused primarily on golf equipment and its recent entry into the ball market.
Tiger Woods never goes unnoticed
Sportscaster Erin Andrews, host of Monday’s event, might have said it best when she introduced Woods by saying, “For the first time in 27 years wearing something different…”
As much as Woods was known for his redshirt on Sunday, he was also known as one of Nike’s best athletes. Nike signed him after he won his third consecutive U.S. amateur title in the summer of 1996. “Hello world,” Woods said the day he turned pro. Then Nike launched an advertising campaign and it was no coincidence.
But trouble was brewing. Woods returned to golf after his car accident in February 2021 and wore FootJoy shoes instead of the swoosh. He said it allowed him to be more stable. Nike said it would work with Woods to meet his needs. He still wore the FootJoy brand at his last tournament representing Nike.
AND THE SHOES?
TaylorMade or the new Sun Day Red brand do not yet have golf footwear, although Abeles expects that to be developed before long.
Germany-based Adidas previously owned TaylorMade, and all golf customers wore the shoe. But a year after Nike Golf exited the equipment business, Adidas sold TaylorMade to a private investment firm. That allowed Woods to switch golf equipment from him to TaylorMade, which was ultimately the beginning of what led to this new brand.
WHAT IS RED SUN DAY?
Abeles and Woods described it as a premium active lifestyle brand. It’s as much about performance on the golf course as it is about comfort at your kids’ soccer games.
The rollout will be gradual, starting May 1 online in the US and Canada before expanding to key markets. The tiger with 15 stripes is the logo, but it is not prevalent like the swoosh (Nike), the alligator (Izod) or the polo pilot (Ralph Lauren) in other brands.
The cap has the tiger on the front. Some shirts are plain, with the logo in a small square at the bottom of the buttons on a golf shirt. Some of the garments have “Sun Day Red” capital letters written along the side of the quarter zipper.
“The logo is sustainable and applicable, but it is not unilaterally the same,” Abeles said. “We also thought about lifestyle: it’s nice to have some tonal logos when you go out at night.”
WHY IS IT WRITTEN LIKE THIS?
Sunday’s red is evident.
“Red Sunday, that’s me,” Woods said. “It’s just become synonymous with me.”
So why those three words? Abeles and Woods talked about the “Rule of Three,” according to which three words or sentences of the same length can leave a greater impression. Woods, for example, likes to say that his goals in golf were: “Work hard, think hard, play hard.”
Abeles said “Sun” can also mean preferred weather (which is missing from Pebble Beach). Day can also mean that golf is played every day of the week. Red is what Woods has long considered his power color, with guidance from his mother.
There was no shortage of thoughts on that.
Source: AP
