Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year greeting message for Tiger Woods: AT&T latest sponsor to dump golfer

Tiger Woods loses AT&T endorsement, as sponsors rush to dump golf ace
The telecommunications giant severed its endorsement relationship with the embattled golf great on December 31, according to the Associated Press, assuring Woods a rather unhappy New Year's Eve.

“We are ending our sponsorship agreement with Tiger Woods and wish him well in the future,” an AT&T spokesperson said, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Host-less? Woods has not been a mainstay of AT&T’s advertising strategy, but he sports the firm’s logo on his golf bag and has hosted the AT&T National PGA Tour event since its 2007 inception. In 2009, Woods signed a multiyear deal with the company, which will reportedly continue to sponsor the PGA tourney.

The AT&T National Web site continues to showcase Tiger Woods as the host of the event, scheduled to occur in Philadelphia from June 29 through July 4, 2010.

And now a word from our ex-sponsors. AT&T is only the latest sponsor to distance itself from the top-ranked golfer, who is on an indefinite hiatus from golf since his infamous November 27 car crash and ensuing allegations of serial infidelity.

Global consulting firm, Accenture, pitched the golfer into the rough two weeks ago, while Boston-based Gillette announced it would stop using Woods in its razor commercials. Tag Heuer has said it would limit the use of Tiger’s image in ads for its high-end Swiss watches.

Nike and Electronic Arts (marketers of EA Sports’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour series of video games) are standing with Woods for now.

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