Golf Stars Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala Duel in FootJoy's Old West Spot

FootJoy, the no. one shoe in golf and the shoe of choice on professional Tours around the world, is riding into town with a new integrated global brand campaign titled 'Feel the Joy.' Styled like a classic Spaghetti Western, the campaign centres on a series of cinematic spots in which PGA Tour stars Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala square off at high noon for a classic shootout, but instead of facing off with six-shooters as townsfolk scurry for cover, the up-and-coming Tour favourites flash their iron skills on the links.

This represents the first work for FootJoy from Portland-based independent agency Opinionatedsince being added to the roster in July 2023.

The overarching 'Feel the Joy' campaign, which includes the lead in creative 'Pin Hunters,' looks to connect with passionate golfers on an emotional level by providing a relatable and sometimes humorous take on the unique joys and camaraderie of the sport. Subsequent creative titled 'Down the Hole,' also part of the Feel the Joy campaign, is slated to launch in March.

Directed by Randy Krallman of Smuggler, 'Pin Hunters' imagines Will and Sahith as duelling foes in an Old West shootout, accompanied by wide shots of mountains and tumbleweeds. The two strangers approach a pin from a distance and draw their clubs amid captivated onlookers played by LPGA star Danielle Kang, who holds 6 LPGA wins; amateur star, Anna Davis, who won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Tournament at 16 years-old and now plays for the Auburn Women’s golf team; Wyndham Clark, 2023 US Open and 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM champion; and Max Homa, a six-time PGA Tour winner and the seventh ranked player in the world.

The spot is soundtracked by Opinionated’s cover version of 'Big Iron,' a song originally written by country and western legend Marty Robbins.

The campaign kicks off Saturday, February 10th with the world broadcast premiere of the 60-second film during the NBC broadcast of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, also known as 'The People’s Open.'

In the US, the campaign will run throughout the year on The Golf Channel with appearances on NBC during the national golf broadcasts of the Valspar Championship, the Children’s Houston Open and the Valero Texas Open among others. It will also stream on Peacock and the Golf Channel App and appear online on Meta and YouTube. In addition, a series of digital and social ads will be running across platforms including TikTok, Reddit, SiriusXM and NBCSports.

“Joy is central to the golf experience and is an integral part of our brand’s unique personality,” said Ken LaRose, SVP, brand strategy and consumer experience for FootJoy. “We are incredibly excited to celebrate that emotion and share our passion for golf through the ‘Feel the Joy’ campaign."

An iconic golf brand with more than 100 years of shoemaking excellence, FootJoy has long been the preferred brand for passionate golfers who have a crazy love of the game. By focusing more on lifestyle than equipment and specs, the new campaign is an acknowledgment of that passion - and the brand’s way to welcome new fans to the sport, which exploded in popularity over the last few years. 'Feel the Joy' celebrates all the feelings familiar to true golf fans, including euphoria, satisfaction, delight, relief, wonder, pride, thrill, and surprise. 

“This campaign is all about bringing FootJoy’s message to life through cinematic hyperbole. Rather than describing this true-to-golf joy, the goal was to let our audience feel the joy,” says Lauren Olson, copywriter for Opinionated.

Adds Nate Corrado, art director for Opinionated, “This spot focuses on that feeling you get when, despite the high-stakes of the game, you’re locked in and shooting the lights out, with the swagger of a pin-hunting gunslinger.”