Callaway has ended its relationship with Good Good Golf amid mounting fallout from an advert that many believe made light of violence against women. The golf equipment manufacturer announced the decision on Thursday, cutting ties with one of the world’s most popular YouTube sports channels effective immediately. Callaway also said it would donate $1m to organizations working to prevent violence against women and support survivors of domestic violence.
Good Good Golf co-founder Garrett Clark apologized in a video on Wednesday night, saying he hopes “we can move on” amid continued fallout from an advert that many believe made light of violence against women. The video, posted on 21 August, was meant to promote a driver it had produced alongside Callaway. It showed Clark shoving Good Good personality Alexis Miestowski to the ground as she went to pull the Callaway club out of his bag.
Clark then said, “Do not touch my new driver,” while standing over her. Good Good is one of the world’s most popular YouTube sports channels and has been credited with bringing golf to a younger audience. The ad drew immediate backlash with claims it depicted violence against women, and Good Good quickly removed it from social media.
The company issued an apology on Saturday, and Clark added a personal apology in a video posted to his social media Wednesday night. Callaway, which had reposted the ad to its own social media accounts, acknowledged on Thursday that its internal review process had not been comprehensive enough and said it had taken “appropriate internal corrective actions” and strengthened its approval process. Golf Channel postponed the premiere of the reality show Big Break x Good Good by a week after a sponsor requested that its branding be removed.
Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy are among the retailers to have pulled Good Good merchandise from their in-store shelves and online. Good Good is also the title sponsor of a PGA Tour event scheduled for November in Austin, Texas. Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp was asked ahead of this week’s Tour Championship whether the controversy could affect that sponsorship.
Clark added that he was “cringing” once he saw the ad, and condemned those who have sent negative messages to Miestowski on social media.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
