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Worst Driver Launches - Marketing Goes Silent

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JB

JB

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Okay, so I was talking with a friend today about driver releases from the larger companies and how some are done so well and others not so well. Some are loud and all over the place, others are dropped with a single press release and then not a peep.

So for you personally, and try and take any brand loyalty or dislike out of it, what are some of the launches that stand out for being not too great?
 
RocketballzDriver_1.jpg
 
I thought Rocketballz was great. First driver purchase I made when I got serious. Jetspeed comes to mind for me.
 
Anything Nike puts out seems to fit this bill; big press release and then silence.
Maybe it was just too long ago now but I don't remember much hype about the Taylormade R15 when it was released either, but maybe I was just tuning it out.
 
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ArmyGolf said:
Anything Nike puts out seems to fit this bill; big press release and then silence.
Maybe it was just too long ago now but I don't remember much hype about the Taylormade R15 when it was released either, but maybe I was just tuning it out.
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Its funny the conversation started over the launch of Vapor Fly and how its been nearly silent.
 
Taylormade has had some in the past such as the Ti2 which was particularly bad, so was the club in my opinion!
 
Nike is the first that comes to mind with their last several releases

cleveland/Srixon had some marketing with the CG black and z series then nothing.

bridgestone - social media is only place I see anything on JGR.
 
The two that come to mind are Nike and Jetspeed


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Any Mizuno driver.
 
Current release driver? Nike. (but that goes for their entire line this year for me).

Last Season? I can't recall seeing a thing about the Srixon drivers anywhere.
 
Nike anything. I don't recall seeing much if anything about them after launch. And even then it was minimal.
 
Nike and Mizuno are the two companies IMO that fit the bill.
 
Think I failed to understand and just thought "worst" versus "silent marketing".

RBZ was far from silent.

Nike, Bridgestone are prolific for little to no advertising.
 
Nike. REPEATEDLY. Dymo (was EVERYWHERE in media then nothing), Covert, Vapor, and now Vapor Fly. For being a marketing "giant" they are clueless with golf equipment.

TM with the R15 and Aero lines. HERE IT IS!!! Then a month later, where did it go?
 
Jman said:
Nike. REPEATEDLY. Dymo (was EVERYWHERE in media then nothing), Covert, Vapor, and now Vapor Fly. For being a marketing "giant" they are clueless with golf equipment.

TM with the R15 and Aero lines. HERE IT IS!!! Then a month later, where did it go?
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What's frustrating, the Vapor line and Vapor Fly line are really good. Really good. Add to that, Nike's golf website is garbage.

It's almost like they can't get out of their own way.
 
JB said:
Its funny the conversation started over the launch of Vapor Fly and how its been nearly silent.
Click to expand...

they have been so silent on the Vapor Fly line. When Covert came out I liked their marketing, the old "sorry" commercials. The Covert 2.0, with showing the evolution story of golf equipment was decent too. This year, nothing, it's been crazy silent.

I think Cobra's driver marketing has been quiet too for the last few years. I don't recall AMP Cell or Bio Cell causing much noise on TV.

I thought X2 hot from Callaway could have used more. I know it was more of a price point driver, but in a way so was XR and now XR 16 and the marketing for that is high. Perhaps they realized it and beefed up the X line from that side of things.

I'm convinced that Mizuno and Titleist don't care about their driver sales.
 
Agree with everyone. Nike is just not there, which is a shame I think that they make some good products. I was at the store the other day and a friend pointed out the Vapor Fly and I said wow I totally forgot all about that. You wouldn't think that especially with colors that stand out, but its true
 
Here's my take on the worst launches, and it's not because they don't sell, but Titleist driver launches are a joke. Every one feels like, "Here's our new driver. It's different and better than our previous release. Trust us. Thanks for your money. Now go buy some Pro-Vs."
 
This year it is as if Nike doesn't want you to buy their clubs - amazing how underwhelming the push has been.


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Nike certainly comes to mind but the other one I think of is the V-Series form Callaway. It just felt like an odd release and while it certainly got a lot of talk on THP, it wasn't like I saw tons of talk about it elsewhere. There was not a lot of hoopla about it at the big chains around here. In fact, I remember going into Golf Galaxy when it came out and the entrance was still covered with BB Alpha posters and advertisements. The V series didn't have any sort of in your face presence there like every other new release driver from Callaway or TM.
 
I agree with the Nike assessment. First thing that came to mind when I read the title of this thread. Lately it seems like Titleist falls into that same camp.
 
W/S F5.


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JetSpeed. It seems like they released it, and killed it all within a span of 30 days or so.
 
Any non wedge Cleveland release, specifically their altitude driver.

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Grenade BombTech drivers. There's only so much a few THP'ers can do to promote! :D
 
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