Gatorade is discontinuing its Tiger Woods drink but said it made the decision before the golfer’s car accident led to a media firestorm surrounding his personal life.
The decision to drop the drink, called Tiger Focus, was first reported by trade publication Beverage Digest in an issue dated Nov. 25, two days before the incident at Woods’ home in Florida. The publication’s editor said he learned of the decision the week of Nov. 9.
The brand–a unit of PepsiCo Inc.–said the decision does not have to do with recent events.
The drink debuted in March 2008. Beverage Digest estimates it represents less than 5% of Gatorade’s volume. Sales volume of Tiger Focus was down 34% this year through October.
Meanwhile, Woods has vanished from primetime TV advertising since the scandal, with data from Nielsen Co. showing there have been no ads in primetime featuring Woods since Nov. 29.
The research firm said the last primetime spot to appear featuring the golfer was a 30-second ad that day for the Gillette Co. That commercial aired eight times during November, spokesman Aaron Lewis said.
There have been no other commercials since then on all broadcast networks and 19 cable networks during the evening news, primetime, late-night and during weekend sports, he said.
