After six years, Accenture ends sponsorship of Woods
Washington Post
Monday, December 14, 2009

Two days after Tiger Woods admitted to marital infidelity and began an "indefinite break" from professional golf, consulting and technology giant Accenture ended its relationship with him, the first major sponsor to completely sever ties with one of the world's best-known athletes following the damaging revelations about Woods's personal life.

Accenture had used Woods in print and television ads for the past six years, leveraging Woods's image as a diligent, determined athlete who sought perfection. Accenture's ads using Woods were particularly prevalent in airports, aimed at business travelers.

"For the past six years, Accenture and Tiger Woods have had a very successful sponsorship arrangement and his achievements on the golf course have been a powerful metaphor for business success in Accenture's advertising," the company said in a statement Sunday. "However, given the circumstances of the last two weeks, after careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising."

A company spokesman declined to expand on the statement.

"The company will immediately transition to a new advertising campaign, with a major effort scheduled to launch later in 2010," the statement said.