We love a great brand story. Of course we do, it’s in our DNA. Storytelling is one of our three foundational pillars, along with empathy and creativity. So we get excited every time we find a great story to tell or stumble upon an amazing tale like Sun Day Red, Tiger’s new brand.

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It’s a great example of how to use brand elements to tell a compelling and coherent story. We loved it so much that we decided to write a case study to share our excitement,  breaking down all the hidden meanings behind the brand. Great brand stories always leave room for interpretation and invite the audience to become co-authors. So naturally, we added our own spin.

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CHALLENGE

Introducing a new brand for one of the greatest athletes of all time, who has become synonymous with one of the most iconic brands in the world, Nike. How do you get fans and the rest of the world to move on from an illustrious past, and what seemed the perfect marriage for 27 years, to look excitedly ahead to the future.

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BRAND STRATEGY

Don't distance Tiger from his past. It's not about wiping the slate clean. It's about acknowledging and honoring the past while looking ahead to a new beginning. The brand is built on this idea of “new beginnings,” which come with new opportunities and a sense of endless possibilities.

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NAMING

Sun Day Red

At face value it's a play on the legendary Masters Sundays where Tiger scored his most memorable moments and inspired a whole generation, adorning the now iconic red polo shirt. A deeper look reveals the idea of “new beginnings.” “Sun Day” is a masterful double entendre to mean a new day but also means a new week, which starts on Sunday. What Sun Days and Sundays have in common with this new chapter for Tiger is new beginnings and a sense of endless possibilities, which is the throughline of this story.

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BRAND IDENTITY

The logo is made of 15 stripes that represent the 15 majors Tiger has won. Together, those lines create a skeleton of what we can only assume is a tiger. The color red is a nod to Tiger's Masters Sunday uniform, but also a universal symbol for passion.

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LAUNCH

The rollout video, “Sun Day Red Rises,” tells the story of a brand new day. Another clever word play to launch A NEW BRAND that ushers in A BRAND NEW chapter for Tiger, his fans and the world of sports. The video is full of emotion, inspiration, and dramatic shots and lighting. It’s an ode to those who refuse to be shackled by their past or defined by the critics. Instead, they choose to see every day, every week and every new chapter as an opportunity, which is best captured in this line: "Everything that led me here is woven into everything that comes next"

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Great brand stories are built on a big idea— preferably a universal truth or belief about our shared human experience. The story is clear, coherent and flawlessly executed. Each element tells a complete story while all the pieces can also be stitched together to tell a full and coherent story. Most of all, it is great because we were able to arrive at all these conclusions without reading any brief or any extensive analysis online. And just like Tiger, we sure I'm only scratching the surface.

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NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED: All the images in the article were sourced from Taylor Made official website. The thumbnail is a Getty image.