Fast Company
Follow
Good Good and Callaway Golf keep taking bigger swings at each other. It’s not helping either brand
Brand controversies usually fade quickly unless companies prolong them, which is the case with Good Good and Callaway Golf. A controversial co-branded marketing video sparked a social media backlash that intensified with continuous statements from both companies. The 60-second video, shared on August 21, featured Good Good cofounder Garrett Clark shoving professional golfer Alexis Miestowski to the ground while saying, "Do not touch my driver." Social media users quickly condemned the video as promoting violence against women, prompting both brands to remove it. Good Good issued an apology a day later, followed by Callaway's apology, which notably omitted its role in the video's production. Public outcry persisted, leading to calls for retailers to boycott the brands and separate apologies from both CEOs on August 25. Subsequently, on August 26, major retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods began removing Callaway products from their websites, and Good Good's CEO further apologized, calling the ad "the worst ad known to man." However, tensions escalated when Callaway publicly terminated its relationship with Good Good and pledged $1 million to organizations combating violence against women. Good Good also withdrew its sponsorship from a PGA golf tournament. The controversy took another turn when Good Good's CEO, Matt Kendrick, publicly accused Callaway of approving the ad, asking Good Good to take the blame, dropping them, and using a donation to cover it up. This erratic response reignited the backlash, turning the situation into a widespread joke on social media.