TAG Heuer's new advertising campaign is based on the question, What are you made of?

What is TAG Heuer made of? What are the brand's 'ambassadors' made of? What are the consumers made of?

To this central question, TAG Heuer provides its own answer, “100% prestige, 100% performance”.

The young golf superstar, Tiger Woods, obviously epitomizes this dual criteria. He combines the prestige of an elite sport with the performance of an exceptional player. Now, the question is how to get this message across using live action?

TBWA, the advertising agency for TAG Heuer came up with a remarkable, amusing and spectacular approach. Associate the two sports that TAG Heuer most supports – golf and the Formula 1 (TAG Heuer has been active in this domain for the last 30 years) – and bring them together in one of the 'iconic' locations of the F1, Monaco. The result? A 'racing duel' between a golf ball hit by Tiger Woods and an F1 race car piloted by a woman driver. Technological power confronts mental concentration and a perfect swing. It is Man against Machine.

As we might guess, the perilous and unusual route travelled by the ball gets to the end point at the same time as the car, but in a way that we won't reveal here. We will let you discover it for yourself when you see the ad.

This commercial (lasting 60 seconds for cinemas and 30 seconds for television) had to be up to the level of the extraordinary reputation enjoyed by TAG Heuer in these two areas. Everyone probably still remembers the 1991 black-and-white campaign of 'Don't crack under pressure' that presented subliminal and sometimes violent images of the mental concentration and strength demanded of athletes in competition. A film followed in 1995 called 'Success. It's a mind game', which plunged athletes into a totally extreme, surrealist and disjointed universe. Runners jumped hedges made of razorblades; swimmers competed again sharks; equestrians and their mounts leaped from one building to another…

Presented nearly eight years later, the 'Who can beat Tiger Woods?' campaign represents a major investment for the brand, both in terms of image and in terms of finances. “Our brand is investing a lot at this time,” says Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO. “It is about 40% more than in 2002, even if the general politico-economic situation is much more difficult in 2003. It demonstrates our firm commitment.”

The commercial 'Who can beat Tiger Woods?' was filmed in Orlando, Florida with Tiger Woods, and in Monaco. Over a four-day period, during which large sections were blocked off in the Mediterranean city, three F1 cars and their drivers took part in the filming. The spots will be broadcast around the world before the Grand Prix of Monaco, and will reach most of the 120 countries where TAG Heuer is present, by means of cinemas, television, cable and satellite networks.

The commercial spots will also be carried out in conjunction with a 'print' campaign. While the print ads will emphasize the image of the product itself, the aim of the commercial is to transmit the ideas of movement, emotions, TAG Heuer's passion for sport and the important values of the brand, rather than a specific product.

At the end of the commercial, the golfer and car restart, as if the first spot was only the first hole in the brand's round of golf with Tiger Woods.

This 'restarting' is symbolic of a very major effort, not only from a marketing point of view, but also in terms of products and innovation that the 'world's fourth luxury watch brand' intends to accomplish this year.