Brand sacks execs over ad showing woman pushed over

Good Good has dismissed two senior executives after a public backlash erupted over an advertisement that depicted a woman being shoved to the ground after she reached for a golf club. The company, which operates a YouTube channel with 2.1 million subscribers, announced that it had severed ties with chief enforcement officer Matt Kendrick and president Joe Flannery following the release of the spot produced for Callaway’s “play nine” line. Earlier in the week, Jeffrey Lefkovits, vice‑president of brand and sales, was also let go. Alex Puchala, head of concern and operations at Good Good, described the Wednesday dismissals as a “difficult time for the full Good Good family.” In the wake of the departures, Nahid Giga, a committee member and investor in the firm, was appointed interim chief executive officer. The advertisement drew widespread criticism, with commentators accusing it of trivialising violence against women. Good Good and Callaway subsequently withdrew the clip and issued apologies. Callaway went further, terminating its partnership with Good Good and pledging to donate $1 million (approximately £736 000) to organisations that work to prevent gender‑based violence and assist survivors. Good Good, which has collaborated with Callaway since 2023, also withdrew its sponsorship of a PGA Tour event in Austin, Texas, scheduled for November. Retailers have removed Good Good merchandise from their shelves. The controversial video showed Garrett Clark, co‑founder of Good Good, rushing toward Alexis Miestowski—a non‑professional golfer and regular content creator for the brand—before pushing her to the ground while shouting, “Do not interaction my caller driver.” Good Good positions itself as one of golf’s leading content creators, having launched its YouTube channel in 2020. Its regular uploads feature men and women competing in a variety of golf‑related challenges, and the company produces made‑for‑television programmes as well as advertisements for golf equipment and related products. Puchala noted that the brand remains “concouraged by the continued support” of its fans and said it is “focused connected moving guardant and gathering the adjacent section of the company.”