Once again, the U.S. Open champion will be crowned on Father’s Day.
But golf’s connection with Father’s Day extends far beyond the national open, and Callaway’s newest Father’s Day ad spot focuses in on the moments that make our game so special.
The ad, which is part of Callaway’s “Nothing Beats This” campaign, launched during Saturday’s broadcast of the U.S. Open and will air again during Sunday’s final round. The campaign isn’t specifically tied to Callaway’s lines of golf balls or clubs, but rather showcases why people love golf, and Callaway saw Father’s Day as the perfect time to highlight that message.
“Father’s Day week, U.S. Open week, huge amount of eyeballs, biggest sales week of the year… It’s that moment where people are sitting watching it,” Callaway VP of Marketing Nick McInally told GOLF. “We are not using this to say come buy the new Elyte driver or new golf balls. As a brand that’s trying to be aspirational but accessible, it’s a ‘hey, we get this. We’re golfers too.'”
For many father’s and their families, Father’s Day usually involves playing golf or sitting and watching the U.S. Open, like McInally said he will do Sunday afternoon with his son.
So the new ad spot is a collection of moments featuring dads and their kids going through those experiences from teaching the game, hitting a great shot or just a sweet, memorable moment. What’s special for Callaway is that none of the families you see in the ad are actors. Everyone has some connection to Callaway, whether they are an employee, a professional staff member, a Callaway Next participant or from a Callaway-sponsored youth organization like First Tee.
The end of the spot actually features one of those moments when Callaway Senior Product Manager Austin Tudor and his son Henry are walking down a fairway into the sunset. Henry leans into hug Austin and says, “Thanks, Dad,” just loud enough for the microphones to hear.
“The moment was completely unscripted, but just works so well,” McInally said. “He meant it because he was saying, hey, listen, thank you for allowing me to be in this. And when we captured that moment, we’re like, ‘Okay, that has to be in it.'”
You can watch the ad above or during Sunday’s final-round broadcast of the U.S. Open, and have a happy Father’s Day from all of us at GOLF.
