Garmin's Latest Golf Campaign Finds Power in Pursuit, Not Perfection

When you really get down to it, there’s not a single sport out there that can truly be played perfectly. No matter how good you are, no matter how recognisable your talent is, you’re never going to play a game and literally do every little thing flawlessly. It’s just impossible.

Of course, that’s never stopped people from trying – and loving the experience of doing so. A particularly strong example of this is golf. The perfect game might arguably require even more than achieving the improbable and hitting a hole-in-one on every single stroke, but when the weather gets warm, you’ll never see a course devoid of eager competitors swinging away, day after day. Their love of the sport, and the thrill of the chase, is all they need to keep trying, which is exactly what Garmin has captured in its latest campaign for its line of golf tech.

Tapping Into the Real Game

Centred around a beautiful hero narrative film titled ‘We’ve got your Game’, Garmin executive creative director Brian Brooker explains why the work is, first and foremost, all about tapping into an insight that every golfer can relate to.

“‘We’ve got your Game’ transcends golf from products to possibility,” he reveals. “We're appealing to the new age through the lens of an old man narrator. There's thought to be a generational gap in how the game is played, and by leaning into that, we reveal that golf isn't as divided as we all think. No matter who you are, you're striving for the same thing: to better your game any way you can. Garmin is a brand that gets that, and we've got the tools that can help you improve.”

It’s a simple premise, but one which thrives due to the excellent craft of director Ross Allen at Revolver Films, as well as the fact that it simply hasn’t been done before.

Specifically, according to Joe Dietrich, Garmin’s lead art director, other competitors in the golf space consistently focus on aspiration, tapping tournament pros and showcasing the way in which their products ‘change’ the game. As such, exploring the quiet side of golf – the you versus you – was the perfect way to shake things up and make some noise in the category. “While other brands perpetuate perfection, we know that it's not about that; it's about the pursuit of it, and the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with it” he continues. “By exploring that, we're able to show that regardless of who you are or how you play, Garmin products give you the confidence to show up round after round.”

For Ross, an avid fan of the game himself, this brand sentiment translated to the ideal brief. Describing ‘We’ve got your Game’ as a dream project – “one of those rare ones that feel like they find you” – his immediate realisation that the work wasn’t just about golf, but what the game feels like, quickly proved to the brand that he was the right candidate for the job.

“I knew I had to make it personal,” he says. “Advertising often tells you what to believe, but we wanted you to feel it, so that belief could come from within. I knew if I could connect with the golfer on a real level – reflect their rituals, their doubts, their inner voice – that’s how we’d make something that resonates.”

Of course, doing this would be far easier said than actually done. This endeavour needed to be built from the inside out, and more than that, carry weight while deftly depicting the silent, unshakable confidence that the pursuit of the perfect game requires.

A Director’s Dream Brief

From the start, Ross prioritised the work’s emotional beats early, leaning heavily on his own experiences playing. “For me, golf has always been a kind of sanctuary,” he notes. “The world goes quiet, and that’s the feeling we chased. Anyone can shoot a golf swing, but we wanted every moment to mean something. Whether it was a first birdie, a pressure putt to tie the match, or a tee shot that demanded you shape it just right, each scene had to carry personal weight. That’s how we made the visuals matter.”

This sense of deliberate action was crucial in Ross’ storyboarding process as well. Not only was a December 2024 location scout in California vital for the process, allowing the team of Ross and producer Ben Chick to map the sun and walk the courses, but to ensure every scene would feel lived-in and authentic, he took the time to not just plan shots, but creatively justify why every single frame in the final version of the film mattered. “I wanted to work with more control, more precision, but still leave room for spontaneity,” Ross adds. “Everything had purpose, but we stayed open to those unscripted moments that make something breathe.”

That wasn’t the only benefit of the trip, however. Knowing that the film would require real golfers – people who could bring a sense of quiet, unfakeable authenticity – the pair also took the time while on the road to build relationships with the local golf communities and look for talent. From personal networks, local casting calls and word of mouth to college teams and golf course regulars, it’s fair to say that no stone was left unturned during this hunt for a cast capable of depicting the diverse world of the sport.

As it turned out, this effort was well worth it. The resulting 21-person talent list, ranging in age from 14 to someone in their late 70s, comprised an incredible mix of experience, personalities and presence, all of which lent the film the raw, honest texture Ross had been hoping to achieve from the beginning. However, the cherry on top was that he’d be getting to shoot once again with a close friend, Bradford Wilson – a star of the director’s 2023 personal project ‘This Is Golf’ – in what felt like a “coming full circle moment”.

Five Days, One Epic Road Trip

In January of 2025, one month later, the production crew and brand ventured back to California to get things officially underway. Starting in Palm Springs before road-tripping to Los Angeles, flying to Pacific Grove, and then making their way deep into the redwoods of north of San Francisco, the team shot across three golf courses, one driving range, a setup in the desert and even an Airbnb’s backyard… all in five days.

“It was intense, immersive, and honestly, one of the most rewarding shoots I’ve ever been on,” Ross says, reflecting on the experience. “Each window brought a new cast, a new course, and a new energy. Even when nature had its own plans, we rolled with it. That’s the magic of working with a team you trust.”

One moment which really exemplified this was the driving range scene. At the time of filming, Los Angeles was still recovering from the fires, and so out of respect and a need for safety, the crew pivoted at the last minute. However, instead of letting it hold back the creative, the team committed to shooting on 16mm with a sense of precision, care, patience and trust that the director could only describe as “sacred”.

“There were so many moments on set where I just had to stop, take a breath, and take it all in,” he reflects. That quiet little ‘pinch-me’ feeling? I had it more than once. Everyone showed up for it. We laughed a lot. We shared stories. And at the end of it, we made something we all genuinely care about. There was a real sense of shared purpose, and that made every scene feel alive.”

Hitting the Hole-in-One

Of course, with so many golf balls being whacked around, and having spent months prior helping shape the nature of the film, Ross admits it was a little bit torturous going to all these locations without being able to touch a club himself. However, the knowledge that he had the opportunity to leave a piece of himself in the film was rich indeed – a sentiment which buoyed him through, even into the post process back in Toronto.

“For me, this project was about trusting my instincts while also pushing myself further; more discipline, more detail, and a deeper commitment to storytelling,” Ross muses. “I wanted every shot, every cut, and every sound to feel deliberate, but still alive.”

And, thanks to Garmin’s willingness to free Ross of runtime obligations and hard deadlines, as well as the assistance of Outsider Editorial’s Calum Moore, the director would see his wish fulfilled. “We knew early on that something special was taking shape in the edit,” he says. “I hope the final film feels a little gritty, a little raw – in the best way. We weren’t chasing perfection; we were chasing truth. The texture, the emotion, the imperfect beauty of real moments – that’s where the power is. Gloss can be beautiful, but grit feels honest.”

This result is something the brand is also immensely proud of. Praising the production team's efforts, and the way in which the director’s evident love of the sport comes through, Garmin's global executive producer, Maggie Wasserman, adds​, "Revolver and Ross Allen were incredible to collaborate with! They understood from the first phone call, that this wasn’t about egos; it was about working together for the love of Garmin and the love of the sport. They went above and beyond to make all of our scenarios work. Plus, it was a tonne of fun!"

Building on this, Garmin senior copywriter Amy Van Patten shares that what stands out to her is the exceptional tone of the work. Highlighting the way in which ‘We’ve got your Game’ allows the company to reach out to prospective customers through the power of emotional, human storytelling, she affirms that this was not only the right approach for reflecting the brand, but due to her own lived-experiences, the best way to truly connect with golfers.

“My husband golfs, and every time he comes home after a round, he either tells me about the best shot of the day, or the one that ruined his score,” she finishes. There's nothing in between, and that's not a unique experience to him. However, through these conversations, it struck me just how fragile a golfer's game truly is. While I'm not a golfer (I’m a runner), it's a sport that's wildly different yet weirdly similar – a good day is a good day until it's not. This is how we work at Garmin. Creative comes from the inside. We live the lifestyle, we find passion in what we do and make sure it resonates with our audience.”