Alongside Backrooms, Obsession was one of 2026's most surprising blockbusters, grossing over $501 million worldwide against a budget of around $750,000.
Social media is full of memes and parodies inspired by Inde Navarrette's unsettling, manic performance as the cursed Nikki Freeman. But that doesn't mean that sending up a dark psychological horror movie is the right call for every brand, as golf equipment make Callaway has just discovered.
The full Good Good driver video was actually 60 seconds long, and it seems like it was meant to be some sort of horror-movie spoof? It’s still viewable in some posts. (Here’s most of it:) pic.twitter.com/UBhUmKBQZYAugust 24, 2026
This is very scary tbh pic.twitter.com/9bloWsR6WzAugust 22, 2026
The video showing a golfer violently shove a woman to the ground after she tried to pick up his driver was intended to promote a new co-branded product launched by Callaway with the media company Good Good Golf.
If the aim was to go viral, it worked, but for all the wrong reasons. A significant backlash grew online as people accused the brands of promoting violence against women. One golfer writing on X described the video as a "generationally stupid ad.”
Good Good, whose original YouTube channel now has 2.1 million subscribers, has deleted the video. It posted an apology, saying that the ad "ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand".
Callaway has also said sorry. It said in a statement: “While the video was produced by Good Good, it was approved by Callaway prior to posting. That approval should never have happened
"To be clear: We are unequivocally against discrimination, domestic violence, or threatening behavior of any kind.”
The equipment make said it's carrying out internal and external investigations and making changes to its approval processes.
I have daughters that, even at their young age, are showing a healthy interest in golf. This is a generationally stupid ad. Callaway and Good Good should be ashamed. https://t.co/NRm4ttKsE5August 22, 2026
They so don’t get the point. They didn’t just create an ad that makes golf non-inclusive to women, but it endorses violence against women in the scariest and most threatening way. This is a horrible look for them and for Callaway. Wildly disappointing. https://t.co/uMzgdEemkjAugust 22, 2026
But some wonder how the ad got approved by both brands in the first place. It seems it was probably a case of the kind of group think that can set in when brands applaud their own cleverness at quickly jumping on a trending topic. But not every trend is suitable for every brand, and the execution is everything.
We recently revisited the outrageous Gameboy adverts of the '90s. These are very different times. Audiences have matured, casual misogyny is no longer tolerated in mainstream advertising, and golf as a sport has been trying to become more inclusive.
“They didn’t just create an ad that makes golf non-inclusive to women... it endorses violence against women in the scariest and most threatening way,” writes the senior director of social media at golf-focused media company Pro Shop on X. “This is a horrible look for them and for Callaway. Wildly disappointing.”
