Image by ken mccown via Flickr
Published: February 26, 2010
NEW YORK (AP) -- Add Gatorade to the list of endorsement deals that Tiger Woods has lost. A representative for the drink, sold by PepsiCo Inc., confirmed late Friday that it had ended its relationship with the golfer, who made a lengthy public apology last week for his infidelities.
''We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts and have ended our relationship,'' a Gatorade spokeswoman said. ''We wish him all the best.''
The spokewoman said Gatorade would continue its relationship with the Tiger Woods Foundation.
She declined to say whether his contract was terminated early because of trouble with his public image.
Gatorade discontinued its Tiger Woods-brand drinks in November, a decision made before Woods' marital problems became known.
At the time, Gatorade stuck by him as a sponsor, but it too relented on Friday, becoming the third major endorsement deal the golfer has lost. AT&T Inc. and Accenture, dropped Woods in the weeks following the tabloid frenzy of cheating allegations.
The companies that have stuck most closely by Woods, Nike Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc. -- which have invested specifically in his athleticism -- reiterated their support last week when the golfer made his public apology.
Others, such as Procter & Gamble Co.'s Gillette and Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer, de-emphasized him in their marketing.
The CEO of Procter & Gamble said earlier this week that he doesn't know whether Woods will ever appear in another Gillette commercial, saying the company did not need the ''distraction'' of using him in its advertising.
Gatorade owner PepsiCo, the world's second-biggest soda maker, also owns the Tropicana, Quaker and Frito-Lay brands.
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1 comment:
Bet Tiger Woods didn't think that cheating on his wife would cause all of this. Many top dollar athletes fall into this trap, like Kobe for instance. The women that come at them could care less about them beeing married. Most of them are just in it for the money. They're thinking hey I get to sleep with a famous athlete and get a nice pay check to go along with it. This is a win win situation for them and the athlete comes up short everytime. This should be a wake up call for not just athletes, but everyone who is in a serious relationship.
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