Survey: Tiger Woods' Ad Confuses Viewers

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) - Most viewers of Tiger Woods' new Nike commercial featuring the voice of his father were confused according to a new survey.

A national media study asked 600 Americans to view the new ad by Nike featuring Woods and describe the emotion they felt while viewing. "Confusion" ranked at the top with 44 percent of viewers, followed with 37 percent selecting "skepticism." "Sadness' and "disturbing" followed with 25 and 26 percent respectively.

Only one percent selected "happiness" as the emotion they felt viewing the ad.

The study was conducted by HCD Research on April 8 using its MediaCurves.com Web site to obtain viewers' perceptions of the new, controversial ad.

Another finding in the survey showed that favorability for the Nike brand declined among viewers of the ad, with the number of viewers rating Nike as favorable or extremely favorable decreasing after viewing the video.

In addition, favorability scores for Woods, also decrease after viewing the video.

"Our automated response curves revealed that viewers’ low interest levels were consistent with expectations regarding viewers who were confused by the ad's message," commented Glenn Kessler, president and CEO, HCD Research.

Among the findings:

Which of the following emotions did you feel while viewing the video? Please check all that apply.

Please indicate your perception of the Nike brand.

Has this video changed your likelihood of purchasing products endorsed by Tiger Woods?

While viewing the video, participants indicated their perceived levels of interest by moving their mouse from left to right on a continuum. The responses were recorded in quarter-second intervals and reported in the form of curves. The participants were also asked to respond to post-viewing questions.