PutterZone – Best Putter Reviews
MacGregor’s got its mojo back, judging by the company’s advertisements in the latest issue of Golf Magazine.
Now, MacGregor isn’t a brand that I would normally call exciting or hip. In fact, I’d sort of forgotten about MacGregor. That’s what makes their racy new ads so fun, if also a bit jarring (they even use the phrase “kick ass” in their Mactec driver ad).
One of these advertisements is for the company’s new Bobby Grace-designed DCT Putters ($200) with Face-Off technology. It’s a two-page ad with a rather flip headline: “Adios, 3-Putt.” Followed by this subhead: “Introducing Face-Off. One Putter. Two Faces.”
At the bottom of the ad, the brand name MacGregor features the following slogan: “Hell-Bent on Improving Your Game.”
Adios. Hell. Ass…Welcome to the new MacGregor. I’m tempted to say that they’re trying too hard, but then again, MacGregor needs to try hard if they want to carve a bigger slice out of the relevance pie.
And you know what? The rest of the DCT Putter ad is pretty good. It explains that the putter comes with interchangeable face plates, one polymer and one titanium, for customized adaptability to green conditions. It also explains that the putters come with “patented distance corrective technology (DCT) in both face inserts, which scientifically compensates for the loss of energy that occurs on off-center putts.”
The graphics are sharp, too. They show exactly what you get, and how the Face-Off technology works. However, the overall all design is a little too eager to claim the clean and mean “techlab” look favored by so many golf advertisements. It’s an approach that must work, because so many companies use it. But it sort of blends in with the crowd, which isn’t the best way to stand out. MacGregor is going out on a limb with their words, but playing it pretty safe with the design. I think that the design could have been more arresting and distinctive.
What I do like about this ad is that it focuses on specific features and benefits, of which there appear to be several. I earlier reviewed an ad for the Ping Redwood Series putters ($250) that I felt was a bit lazy on this front. Now, do I really want to be screwing and unscrewing face plates on my putter? It’s not my first inclination, but I’ll keep an open mind. At least I know my money is going toward something specific and potentially significant.
In summary, I think that MacGregor has been well advised with this campaign. I’ve never seen one of their DCT Putters, but they’ve given me a reason to keep an eye out for them. If I was in the market for a new putter, I might even seek them out. On that basis alone, this ad hits the mark.
Positive: A new putter and a new attitude from MacGregor
Negative: A layout that blends in instead of standing out
Final Grade: B+
