And here's your new SMU Football ad campaign!

[PerunaPunch]

Well, I may stand corrected. I conducted my own grandma research at lunch today and ran the horse/arrow concept by a couple of folks. Nobody figured out that it translated to "Pony Up", but the two guys I had lunch with said things like:

"Onward and upward"

"Program on the rise"

"The sky's the limit"

Even when I said, it meant "Pony Up", nobody made the connection between the slogan and pay for play. So it seems to be connoting a positive message.

[MrMustang1965]

http://smuad.blogspot.com

I called Ms. Contreras earlier today (left a message on her voicemail) to express my extreme displeasure with this slogan. To her credit, she did call me back. Throughout our conversation, she kept saying "I hope you'll give it a chance".

I'll say this: If 'Pony Up' works, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. But right now...the SMU Athletic Dept. Marketing office and The Richards Group get a failing grade. My God...what were they thinking?

Perhaps if others on this board also called her to let her know their displeasure they'll realize they 'fumbled' the ball. Her phone number is (214) 768-2879.

[CalallenStang]

I'm willing to withhold judgment until I see the final results...

the way this campaign should be judged is how many NEW FANS it creates. SMU athletics has had the same contingent of fans with little change at all for a long time now. This small contingent attends games every year, posts on sites like this one, etc. etc. The marketing should be about creating new fans...so if this campaign creates a buzz and brings new fans, then it will be successful.

[RGV Pony]

http://smuad.blogspot.com

I called Ms. Contreras earlier today (left a message on her voicemail) to express my extreme displeasure with this slogan. To her credit, she did call me back. Throughout our conversation, she kept saying "I hope you'll give it a chance".

I'll say this: If 'Pony Up' works, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. But right now...the SMU Athletic Dept. Marketing office and The Richards Group get a failing grade. My God...what were they thinking?

Perhaps if others on this board also called her to let her know their displeasure they'll realize they 'fumbled' the ball. Her phone number is (214) 768-2879.

So we go from Richard Sweet to Monica Contreras. I'm guessing we all will be asked to give her a chance. Any knowledge on her marketing background? Not meant as a personal attack, but of course SWA brought some clout...and now in my head I keep hearing SMU Football flagship station's Greg Williams saying, "now what the hell has she ever done?"

[mrydel]

http://smuad.blogspot.com

I called Ms. Contreras earlier today (left a message on her voicemail) to express my extreme displeasure with this slogan. To her credit, she did call me back. Throughout our conversation, she kept saying "I hope you'll give it a chance".

I'll say this: If 'Pony Up' works, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. But right now...the SMU Athletic Dept. Marketing office and The Richards Group get a failing grade. My God...what were they thinking?

Perhaps if others on this board also called her to let her know their displeasure they'll realize they 'fumbled' the ball. Her phone number is (214) 768-2879.

If I express my displeasure with you jumping to conclusions before the campaign has started will you stop doing so. Count this as my first call to you.

[jtstang]

If I express my displeasure with you jumping to conclusions before the campaign has started will you stop doing so. Count this as my first call to you.

Michael Bolton: You think the pet rock was a really great idea?
Tom Smykowski: Sure it was. The guy made a million dollars. You know, I had an idea like that once. A long time ago.
Peter Gibbons: Really, what was it, Tom?
Tom Smykowski: Well, all right. It was a "Jump to Conclusions" mat. You see, it would be this mat that you would put on the floor, and it would have different conclusions written on it that you could jump to.

[MrMustang1965]

http://smuad.blogspot.com

I called Ms. Contreras earlier today (left a message on her voicemail) to express my extreme displeasure with this slogan. To her credit, she did call me back. Throughout our conversation, she kept saying "I hope you'll give it a chance".

I'll say this: If 'Pony Up' works, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. But right now...the SMU Athletic Dept. Marketing office and The Richards Group get a failing grade. My God...what were they thinking?

Perhaps if others on this board also called her to let her know their displeasure they'll realize they 'fumbled' the ball. Her phone number is (214) 768-2879.

If I express my displeasure with you jumping to conclusions before the campaign has started will you stop doing so. Count this as my first call to you.

Your call has been duly noted. However, I did not 'jump to a conclusion'. I was right. The majority of the posters on www.ponyfans.com have had a negative reaction to "Pony Up" and so have the people that I have shown it to outside of regular SMU fandom.

[MrMustang1965]

http://smuad.blogspot.com

I called Ms. Contreras earlier today (left a message on her voicemail) to express my extreme displeasure with this slogan. To her credit, she did call me back. Throughout our conversation, she kept saying "I hope you'll give it a chance".

I'll say this: If 'Pony Up' works, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. But right now...the SMU Athletic Dept. Marketing office and The Richards Group get a failing grade. My God...what were they thinking?

Perhaps if others on this board also called her to let her know their displeasure they'll realize they 'fumbled' the ball. Her phone number is (214) 768-2879.

So we go from Richard Sweet to Monica Contreras. I'm guessing we all will be asked to give her a chance. Any knowledge on her marketing background? Not meant as a personal attack, but of course SWA brought some clout...and now in my head I keep hearing SMU Football flagship station's Greg Williams saying, "now what the hell has she ever done?"

During our conversation today, Ms. Contreras said she is an SMU graduate who also has family that attended the school. I believe she also said that her father played football there. Also, a quick 'Google' search shows that she worked at the Dallas Museum of Natural History prior to her employment at S.M.U. Here's a news release with her name on it, at the bottom. http://www.smu.edu/smunews/dallasaurus/news-release.asp

[gangrene]

Well, I may stand corrected. I conducted my own grandma research at lunch today and ran the horse/arrow concept by a couple of folks. Nobody figured out that it translated to "Pony Up", but the two guys I had lunch with said things like:

"Onward and upward"

"Program on the rise"

"The sky's the limit"

Even when I said, it meant "Pony Up", nobody made the connection between the slogan and pay for play. So it seems to be connoting a positive message.

Ok, I'll chime in here...not because I'm obsessed with SMU , but because I work in the advertising field and have seen far more than my share of campaigns. I didn't graduate from the Temerlin Institute but I did work there (at the Temerlin agency, with many of the actual instructors) for several years.

I've read all eight pages of this thread. When I first saw the graphic, I did not know what it meant. My first thought was that it symbolizes the SMU program is on the rise, but I did not think "Pony up".

This one piece does look very stupid all by itself but I'm sure it's not intended to stand alone. Its likely intention is to serve as a reminder to the overall campaign (once released), which will probably be explained in the creative appearing within the rest of the media mix i.e. TV, radio and newspaper.

Releasing the graphic now merely serves as a teaser to get everyone talking about the creative and what it could possibly mean. I'd say that strategy has already been very successful, at least within this group.

Speaking objectively, I'm not too fond of the phrase "pony up" because it makes me think of "cowboy up" and I just don't care for that corny phrase. And, as someone else has mentioned, I also relate the phrase "pony up" with owing money. However, regardless of the slogan, this campaign can be just as big as "Mustang Mania" (which I loved and often cite as an example of what an awareness campaign should be) if it's executed properly. If the goal is to create awareness and generate interest in SMU (and ultimately increase ticket sales), then I'd say it's off to a good start already.

[mrydel]

Your call has been duly noted. However, I did not 'jump to a conclusion'. I was right. The majority of the posters on www.ponyfans.com have had a negative reaction to "Pony Up" and so have the people that I have shown it to outside of regular SMU fandom.[/quote]

How can you, supposedly an intelligent person say you have not jumped to conclusions when the campaign has not yet begun. The majority of ponyfans having negative reactions have also all done so with no campaign. You don't turn down a date with your roommates sister just because he is ugly. At least get a glimpse before you run for the hills. You are merely wanting everyone to acknowledge your digging up this inside scoop and divulging it first. OK, take credit for starting hysteria that has no basis for opinion. Tada!! Now, let us wait and see how the campaign unfolds and then complain until your hearts content.

By the way, on January 23, 2007 you said you were through with caring about SMU. Orsini and Turner were some deroggatory name you called them, and you were through spending your money and wasting your time on SMU. Apparently not everything is true until the facts all come out, huh.

[PlanoStang]

Well, I may stand corrected. I conducted my own grandma research at lunch today and ran the horse/arrow concept by a couple of folks. Nobody figured out that it translated to "Pony Up", but the two guys I had lunch with said things like:

"Onward and upward"

"Program on the rise"

"The sky's the limit"

Even when I said, it meant "Pony Up", nobody made the connection between the slogan and pay for play. So it seems to be connoting a positive message.

Ok, I'll chime in here...not because I'm obsessed with SMU , but because I work in the advertising field and have seen far more than my share of campaigns. I didn't graduate from the Temerlin Institute but I did work there (at the Temerlin agency, with many of the actual instructors) for several years.

I've read all eight pages of this thread. When I first saw the graphic, I did not know what it meant. My first thought was that it symbolizes the SMU program is on the rise, but I did not think "Pony up".

This one piece does look very stupid all by itself but I'm sure it's not intended to stand alone. Its likely intention is to serve as a reminder to the overall campaign (once released), which will probably be explained in the creative appearing within the rest of the media mix i.e. TV, radio and newspaper.

Releasing the graphic now merely serves as a teaser to get everyone talking about the creative and what it could possibly mean. I'd say that strategy has already been very successful, at least within this group.

Speaking objectively, I'm not too fond of the phrase "pony up" because it makes me think of "cowboy up" and I just don't care for that corny phrase. And, as someone else has mentioned, I also relate the phrase "pony up" with owing money. However, regardless of the slogan, this campaign can be just as big as "Mustang Mania" (which I loved and often cite as an example of what an awareness campaign should be) if it's executed properly. If the goal is to create awareness and generate interest in SMU (and ultimately increase ticket sales), then I'd say it's off to a good start already.

Leave off any "PONY UP" on the bumper sticker. It just becomes a
Mustang Club campaign sticker asking for donations. I've seen these
letters from them asking for money with campaign stickers since I was
a kid going to an SMU game or 2 a year from Longview with my SMU
grad Dad.

My concern is whether it needs more hints of SMU on it. Having lived in
Fort Worth for 18 years, it might get confused in the Metroplex with
something from Grapevine aka Mustangs. Maybe have the sticker be a
pciture with the red pony with the black arrow up over a blue and white
faded out background of a full Ford Stadium.

[FroggieFever]

wow, guys, wow.

This does not represent the Richards Group at all--I thought they were better than this.

It looks like a Pony running into a telephone.

[FordtoTolbert]

...these are truly the last days of what has been a pretty decent run. Bush league comes to mind, after thought, poorly funded?..is this some discounted campaign? This makes "Kick 'em Stangs" look like an award winner.

[SMUtrojanFAN]

At least we're gettin' some attention on the frog and mean green boards. Although they're mostly saying how bad they think it is...

[MrMustang1965]

How can you, supposedly an intelligent person say you have not jumped to conclusions when the campaign has not yet begun. The majority of ponyfans having negative reactions have also all done so with no campaign. You don't turn down a date with your roommates sister just because he is ugly. At least get a glimpse before you run for the hills. You are merely wanting everyone to acknowledge your digging up this inside scoop and divulging it first. OK, take credit for starting hysteria that has no basis for opinion. Tada!! Now, let us wait and see how the campaign unfolds and then complain until your hearts content.

By the way, on January 23, 2007 you said you were through with caring about SMU. Orsini and Turner were some deroggatory name you called them, and you were through spending your money and wasting your time on SMU. Apparently not everything is true until the facts all come out, huh.

Mrydel: First, let me say that I respect you, your opinions and your heritage at SMU. You are a true Mustang, thru-and-thru.

I respectfully disagree with you on the subject of the 'Pony Up' campaign. Also, I would definitely turn down a date with my roommate's sister if said person were a 'he'! (I know...typo...just had to have a little fun with that).

I will sit back and watch how the campaign unfolds along with the rest of SMU fandom.

Also, my 'manifesto' (as jt refers to it) was posted on Wednesday, February 28 at 11:20 p.m., not Jan. 23, under the thread "Setting the Record Straight". I did not call either Orsini or Turner a derogatory name. I did state that I would 'devote less time to matters involving the Mustangs'. I never said that I was completely abandoning SMU and its athletic programs, or being a fan.

Those are the facts.