Global golf equipment company Callaway released an ad showing a woman being roughly shoved to the ground and issued an official apology as criticism spread.
According to foreign media reports on the 28th, Callaway recently released a new driver ad video produced in collaboration with the YouTube golf corporations Good Good Golf.
The 15-second video shows a woman reaching for a driver in a golf bag when a man runs in and forcefully knocks her down with his shoulder. The man looks down at the fallen woman and says, "Don't touch my driver," and the video also features the caption "You were warned."
As the video spread on social media (SNS), criticism followed that it "made light of violence against women" and "could trigger trauma for domestic violence survivors." As the controversy grew, Callaway and Good Good Golf deleted the video and related content on the day it was posted.
At first, Callaway said it was "disappointed with the posted content" and thanked Good Good Golf for its response, but faced criticism that it appeared to shift responsibility to its collaborator.
Callaway CEO Chip Brewer ultimately issued a direct apology. Brewer said, "We approved the posting of the video," adding, "It should not have been approved; a mistake was made. We sincerely apologize." He continued, "We oppose discrimination, domestic violence, and all forms of intimidation," and added, "We will learn from this and do better going forward."
However, the controversy continues. Local reports said some consumers declared boycotts of Callaway products and intentions to halt purchases. Callaway Japan also issued a separate statement, drawing a line that the video was not produced or posted in Japan.