PepsiCo’s Gatorade has discontinued a drink named after Tiger Woods, but the decision was not due to recent news surrounding the embattled golfer.
CNBC confirmed on Tuesday that Gatorade has discontinued the ‘Gatorade Tiger Focus’ drink. Gatorade Tiger, launched in ’08, was the “first Gatorade subline to be named after an athlete.”
The decision to discontinue the Woods-branded drink had nothing to do with Woods’ recent controversies. Not only did Gatorade make the decision to discontinue the drink “several months ago,” but Beverage Digest reported Gatorade’s decision on November 25 — two days before Woods’ November 27 car accident.
While Woods’ personal issues did not play a role in Gatorade’s decision, the ongoing drama surrounding the golfer has apparently resulted in at least one ad being pulled from the air.
The Pac-10 Conference has pulled an ad featuring Woods which aired during college football games on November 28 and 29. The ad was supposed to run once more during a December 3 game, but “the spot was not aired.”
A Pac-10 spokesman told CNBC that it was unclear “when, or if, [the ad] will be used again.”
(CNBC 1, 2; The Wall Street Journal, via heraldsun.com.au)
