Woods Crosses Up SAG

Tiger Woods on Wednesday traveled to Canada to shoot a commercial for Buick, the first spot the golfer has filmed since actors and actresses struck the advertising industry May 1.

Woods’ decision marked a bitter defeat for the Screen Actors Guild, which had applauded the athlete’s refusal to cross union picket lines.

SAG spokeswoman Ilyanne Kichaven said the golfer could be subject to disciplinary action. “If there’s a commercial being done in Canada, it is breaking the strike,” Kichaven said. Woods, along with other well-known athletes who make commercials, are mandatory members of the union.

Woods’ business agent said the Buick spot doesn’t signal a change of heart for the golfer.

“It’s in no way a stance against the union,” said Mark Steinberg of Cleveland-based IMG. “It’s simply something he has to do to meet his contractual obligations. Tiger still has a tremendous amount of empathy for the actors and what they’re trying to fight for.”

Buick spokesman John Wray said the car company had delayed the shoot several times in the hope that the labor dispute would be resolved. The commercial is scheduled to run during television coverage of the Summer Olympics, Wray said, “so we couldn’t delay it any longer.”

Woods, who last year signed a reported $30-million deal to promote General Motors’ Buick division, also represents such corporate sponsors as Nike Inc. and American Express. Steinberg said Woods has not made commercials since the strike began.

“You can’t imagine the number of shoots he’s postponed,” Steinberg said. “You’re talking about a professional athlete who’s got contractual obligations to uphold. It’s a tough, unfortunate situation.”

Nike said it has no plans to rush Woods into commercials. “We’re looking long-term at some ads that would further connect Tiger to Nike’s overall brand messaging,” said Lee Weinstein, director of communications for Nike. And, given media coverage of Woods--who wears Nike apparel and uses a Nike golf ball--”we don’t think we necessarily need to say anything else right now.”

Woods isn’t the only famous athlete to have made a commercial since SAG and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists struck over a pay dispute. Los Angeles Laker star Shaquille O’Neal made a commercial for Disneyland, and Olympic sprinters Michael Johnson and Marion Jones shot spots for Nike.

It’s uncertain whether controversy generated by Woods’ appearance would hurt Buick’s image. “The spokesperson should never become the story,” said Los Angeles-based sports marketing consultant David Carter. “The message about the product’s attributes can get lost in the controversy.”

Word that the commercial was being filmed sparked a wave of rumors in Kitchener, a town outside Toronto.

At one point, residents were buzzing that retired athletes Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky would appear in the spot that portrays Woods as winning Olympic-level track-and-field competitions. “We only have Tiger Woods,” Wray said.