Finnish Long Drink takes a swing at golf’s new ball restrictions

Talk in the golf world these days is all about efforts to re-engineer the standard golf ball so it doesn’t fly so far. Or as the Finnish Long Drink might see it, taking all the fun out from the game. The gin-based ready-to-drink cocktail brand is defying golf’s distance-policing by producing golf balls that outperform current standards. Created with the golf equipment maker Attomax, the “Finnish Long Ball” is a long-distance golf ball utilizing cutting-edge technology and materials that will fly up to 15 or 20 yards farther than the leading balls on the PGA Tour, including the Titleist Pro V1, the brand said. Long Balls are available online while supplies last. A three-pack sells for $80. Restricting the flight of golf balls, referred to as a “rollback,” has been pushed by rulemaking bodies like the U.S. Golf Association to rein in sluggers whose drives can no longer be contained by golf courses. The changes are meant to gradually fade out existing balls by 2030. A farcical campaign video from agency Good Conduct and production company Ritual Film features long-drive golfer and reality TV star “Long Way” Bobby Ray offering tips to inept golfers who, using the special ball, hit monstrous shots. The video also says Long Balls get a Finnish sauna and ice bath treatment to aid their performance. The Long Drink has athletic roots—the gin-and-grapefruit combination was said to have been commissioned as an official drink for the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Today, the company that markets the drink counts pro golfers Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger and Matilda Castren among its investors and has leaned into golf as a marketing and merchandise platform. More Creativity coverage from Ad Age: Sign up for our daily Creativity newsletter to see the best stories of the day.

Finnish Long Drink takes a swing at golf’s new ball restrictions

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