Celebrity Era Ends at Buick as Tiger Is Reassigned to OnStar

Saying that it no longer wants "a celebrity at the core of any brand," General Motors on Thursday said golf great Tiger Woods would now be used as a pitchman in companywide ads for products like OnStar instead of serving as the face of Buick.

Mark R. LaNeve, GM's vice president of North American sales, service and marketing, said the automaker will continue to use Woods in corporate-level marketing. "Tiger's a great asset," LaNeve said. "We can use him in lots of ways. Why shouldn't we use him in ways other than Buick?"

Woods, 31, has been a prominent part of Buick advertising since 1999. He reportedly has a five-year contract with the automaker worth $40 million that runs through 2009. But there has been widespread media criticism that the Woods/Buick association lacked credibility, especially since most Buick buyers are well into their 60s.

LaNeve said the new Buick strategy would be to sell the cars based on their own merits, not on their ties to celebrities such as Woods.

In addition to taking delivery of a new Buick Enclave CXL recently, Woods also drives a Buick Lucerne and several other GM vehicles.