And here's your new SMU Football ad campaign!

[MrMustang1965]

It's OFFICIAL! (to borrow a phrase from Stallion: remember who told you first!)

I - along with several others - sent an email to The Greek Wonder (Kate Hairopoulus) at the DMN about the 'Pony Up' advertising campaign. The following was posted on the SMU blog today at 10:12 a.m. Read it and discuss amongst yourselves:


Pony Up.

Yes, SMU fans, this is it.

I’ve received several e-mails asking me to confirm the athletic department’s new marketing slogan, and it is indeed "Pony Up" (though it’s illustrated with a red, SMU pony and an upward pointing arrow, like one drawn on a chalkboard).

"It’s saying we’re headed in the right direction," said Monica Contreras, SMU’s director of marketing and promotions. "We’re headed in a new direction."

Like it? Don’t like it?

Contreras says the graphic is at least creating buzz. They know it’s not a typical SMU campaign.

The school, which worked with The Richards Group on the campaign, has started only a "soft launch," with the graphic appearing on schedule cards and posters.

You’re going to see a lot more of it as the football season approaches. It will be part of soon-to-be released T.V., radio and Internet spots. SMU’s also launching an "outdoor campaign," which will include billboards and banners. I believe there's more to it than the graphic itself.

Some e-mails I’ve received have asked about "Pony Up" bringing in the unfortunate tie-in of the Death Penalty and paying players. If that’s what you think of, it’s definitely not what SMU was going for.

"No, we’re obviously trying to get away from that," Contreras said.


Posted by Kate Hairopoulos at 10:12 AM

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/

P.S. I wanted to hold onto my 6500th post for something more important - like SMU's first win of the 2007 football season - but I felt this was important enough.

[PonyKai]

Does the buzz its creating mean these eight pages here?

[PerunaPunch]

I own a marketing consultation firm, and am a proud graduate of the Temerlin Institute. The first thing I learned when I joined my first ad firm was not to judge a campaign too quickly. Those of you who deal with clients know what I'm talking about.

That being said, at first blush, this campaign seems pretty weak. It doesn't appear to connect with any target audience, the graphic must be reinforced with the written message "Pony Up" before the point is conveyed, and the call-to-action doesn't elicit the desired behavior (but instead recalls a negative connotation).

My long-standing critique of the AD Marketing is that they go forward with ideas without considering how those ideas will or won't connect with their audience. Even in this case, when it appears that they at least conducted some informal "grandma" research, it doesn't appear that their focus group was a representative sample of their primary audience. So again, the message is off target. I can bore ya'll with numerous past examples of this.

On a side note - and bear with me since it’s been a while since I took advertising - but isn't this what an effective ad campaign does - get people talking?

Cat, you raise a good point, BUT the only people who are talking about this campaign are the disappointed Ponfans faithful. Is this campaign strong enough to get anyone besides us talking? Will this positively impact the larger target audience of SMU students? The even larger audience of area alumni?? Dallas residents??? Will it even be remembered next year???

[Cadillac]

Does the buzz its creating mean these eight pages here?

No. I told my wife about it. I think that's what they are talking about.

she hates it.

Though I'm not sold on the Rebus Puzzle I like "Pony Up" as a slogan. I think the intention, which will need to be communicated in the campaign is to get people to invest in the well being of the team. We have had a constant chicken/egg problem with the football program: We need people to care about the football program, but people won't care until they start winning, but they can't win until they recruit better, and they won't recruit better until they get people to care... rinse and repeat.

Maybe they are trying to break thy cycle. Combine this campaign with a winning season/bowl trip, and perhaps they can turn the ship around. If the campaign and the season fizzle... well, back to the drawing board.

CoS

[LonghornFan68]

"Pony Up" is starting to remind of "Cowboy Up" which makes me want to "vomit up" my shoes.

[mustangnation]

http://smuad.blogspot.com

[BrianTinBigD]

Too bad Reebok came out with the Terrible Terry Tate commericals a couple years ago. Would have been nice to see that premise with a monstrous linebacker leveling Dallas locals for not supporting SMU athletics.

Guy wearing a UT hat and BAM! Then he could put a sticky note on the guys head that says SMU vs. TTECH, Sept. 3 ESPN

I loved those commercials. We need an office linebacker at the office.

[35straight]

You've got to love this line from the above link.

"Don’t worry - this isn’t all you will see of this campaign!"

What are they thinking? Is everyone over there taking crazy pills? This is the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. And how to they plan on selling anything with that trash printed on them.

[RGV Pony]

PonyPride, take a look at the blog by Ms. Contreras. She blantantly infringes upon your ("our") beloved site's brand, asking if anyone wants to wear some "Pony Fan" clothes. I hope she paid you the license fee.

[perunapower]

You will see street teams building the excitement across Dallas handing out merchandise to new, existing and future fans!

I like that. I just hope it works.

For the record, I see where they were going with the slogan. The school/administration/team are ponying up, not fans and alumni. The athletic department is finally putting the ante in and taking the challenge of being better. Hopefully this is less confusing with a TV spot, a radio ad, or a billboard though. We surely don't want the general public thinking we are having a city-wide fund-raiser as a last ditch effort.

I think we should let all of the campaign be revealed before classifying it as another athletic marketing failure.

[jtstang]

For the record, I see where they were going with the slogan. The school/administration/team are ponying up, not fans and alumni. The athletic department is finally putting the ante in and taking the challenge of being better. Hopefully this is less confusing with a TV spot, a radio ad, or a billboard though. We surely don't want the general public thinking we are having a city-wide fund-raiser as a last ditch effort.

Maybe the street teams will be handing out explanatory pamphlets along with the merchandise to the new, exisiting and future fans.

Thus far, I am completely underwhelmed. What focus group told them this was a good marketing idea? They should have run it by ponyfans first.

[mrydel]

Well, for now I am going to rely on the word of the one person on this board who has seen more than a horse and arrow, and assume the campaign will be good and effective. When it is not I will throw darts, but I can only imagine the conversation around here if some said "I heard the campaign was based on a pile of biscuit dough that talks with a voice like he was kicked in his dough nuts. How absurd, we will never sell another biscuit again. Just imagine, a Dough Boy. They are going to think all we want is money."

[Bergermeister]

What focus group told them this was a good marketing idea?

Probably the same focus group that applauded the slanted SMU logo with the Boise Bronco in red and blue.

We gots to get us a new focus group.

[PK]

They should have run it by ponyfans first.

They probably consider this group too rabid to trust for area wide marketing ideas....

[mrydel]

They should have run it by ponyfans first.

They probably consider this group too rabid to trust for area wide marketing ideas....

But have you not learned that each of us has all the answers to everything.