Advertisers Shout, Hold That Tiger!

Bloomberg reports, “Tiger Woods TV Ads Disappear After Reports of Affairs”:

No advertisements featuring Tiger Woods have run on prime-time television broadcast networks or 19 cable channels since late last month, after reports of his extramarital affairs, according to data from Nielsen Co.

The last prime-time ad featuring the 33-year-old golfer was a 30-second Gillette Co. spot on Nov. 29, according to New York- based Nielsen. Woods also was absent from ads on a number of weekend sports programs, including NFL games, Nielsen said.

“Last weekend there wasn’t any advertisement during those games,” said Aaron Lewis, a spokesman at Nielsen.

The No. 1 ranked golfer’s standing with the public has plunged in the wake of reports of infidelity that followed a Nov. 27 car accident outside his home near Orlando, Florida. Woods’s ranking among celebrity endorsers plunged to 24th from 6th, according to the Davie Brown Index, which is used to gauge the ability of personalities to influence shoppers.

Woods has endorsement agreements with Accenture Plc, Nike Inc., PepsiCo Inc.’s Gatorade, Tag Heuer International SA watches, Electronic Arts Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co.’s Gillette brand.

Neither Mark Steinberg, Woods’s agent, nor a spokesman, Glenn Greenspan, responded to phone messages or e-mails seeking comment.

The golfer’s $110 million in annual income from endorsements and tournaments, as estimated by Forbes magazine, hinges on his standing with consumers. Woods ranked as the world’s fourth-highest paid celebrity in the 12 months through June 30, the magazine said. In October, he became the first athlete to top $1 billion in career earnings.