Peruna getting Big Horse Friend

[RednBlue11]

June Jones needs to keep his freggin' head on football and not marketing or what the school mascot is.

This team is a hair and a prayer from 0-3.

well it isnt and thats the fact...do you really think Jones is doin the work behind this project he has better stuff to do and not much time to do it.

[SMU89]

I just want to stress that this IS NOT a replacement for Peruna. Our Shetland pony Peruna remains a beloved living mascot for SMU Athletics, continuing a spirited tradition. Secondly, the presence of Peruna the Shetland pony and a Mustang at SMU is not new – in the late 1960s, both appeared on the field with the Squires. Here are the photos:

Sorry SID, but I am not buying it.

I happen to work in the advertising / entertainment industry.

One of the most fundamental of rules of advertising…don’t f with a successful brand.

And that is exactly what SMU is doing here.


There is no rational explanation for this other than $$$$...sad when you think about it, a school such as SMU doesn’t need to compromise standards….this sounds more like a Coog High tactic.

Oh, and answer me this…how many schools have 2 different live mascots at a game?

Not sure how we define peruna as a sucessful brand. I'm no advertising genius but I am a consumer and there are plenty of examples of truely undeniably sucessful brands that have been changed in a similar way:
Coke - now diet,cherry, sure there is another
McDonald started hamburger & shake - now chicken, salad, fruit, gourmet coffee, toys
Peruna - now add a Mustang. Terrible.
Just to name a few.

UK has three mascots : Cat, Scratch, and live bobcat.
http://www.ukathletics.com/trads/mascot.html

[ponyscott]

This is all part of a symbolic changing of the total guard and its doesn't equate to actually winning football games for heavens sake..its just a re-branding of a more powerful image for SMU. Listen I have loved Peruna for years but he is just little and 'cute' and doesn't present a powerful image or a wild and strong image and that's what the new regime is trying to portray and I think its all part of a sweeping personification of the Mustang. I am not a young grad ( I have a senior at SMU) but I for one welcome any personality changes, including the SMU hip-hop songs that may connect to a new audience, and as we all know SMU can be portrayed as being tired and stuffy as evidenced by all these silly posts. The 'Mustang' horse has been a symbol of our Nation and has been dying as a breed so why not connect with it and rise up with the people who want to save the breed? It becomes more of a national connection instead of the 'cute ' little miniature pony that we have had. The people on the board that are connected to this Mustang breed are powerful and wealthy and can help us in the long term so lets let them connect to the SMU Mustangs......enough said.....

[Ralph]

just imagine that Mrs. Pickens is so gosh darn happy with SMU taking one of her mustangs that she donates millions to SMU, her husband Boone gave Okhlahoma State $165 million to build their athletic facilities.

[Bergermeister]

The 'Mustang' horse has been a symbol of our Nation and has been dying as a breed so why not connect with it and rise up with the people who want to save the breed? .....

Symbol of our Nation? Peruna is the SMU mascot. What does that have to do with the whims of some rich socialite? Are we not more stable than that? (pardon the pun)

[VarsityShop]

Part of the problem may be that most of those involved in making this decision are not SMU alums, thus have no real history with Peruna. President Turner, Steve Orsini, June Jones, Roger Staubach, T. Boone Pickens and wife, none of them are SMU Alumni and they are messing with an SMU tradition going back over 70 years.

[BUS]

Peruna is OK but if you are older than 6 peruna is lame.

Slow, not mean, etc.

A real Mustang is so Cool. A horse that can kick your teams butt.

It's a little thing and peruna is still here. so enjoy.

[Statler]

Peruna is OK but if you are older than 6 peruna is lame.

Slow, not mean, etc.

A real Mustang is so Cool. A horse that can kick your teams butt.

It's a little thing and peruna is still here. so enjoy.

Let me see -- Bus says Peruna is lame. This from the man who for five years kept telling us that Bennet was the answer...

[couch 'em]

Peruna is OK but if you are older than 6 peruna is lame.

Slow, not mean, etc.

A real Mustang is so Cool. A horse that can kick your teams butt.

It's a little thing and peruna is still here. so enjoy.

Let me see -- Bus says Peruna is lame. This from the man who for five years kept telling us that Bennet was the answer...

You have to admire BUS. He's always said he's against negativity, and he's consistently put a positive spin on anything and everything the athletic department has done, no matter what it is.

[Dooby]

I just want to stress that this IS NOT a replacement for Peruna. Our Shetland pony Peruna remains a beloved living mascot for SMU Athletics, continuing a spirited tradition. Secondly, the presence of Peruna the Shetland pony and a Mustang at SMU is not new – in the late 1960s, both appeared on the field with the Squires. Here are the photos:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3082164&id=92649576980
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3082164&id=92649576980#/photo.php?pid=3082165&id=92649576980

So, Brad, is this the plan? Is the "mustang" going to be ridden?

[couch 'em]

Peruna is OK but if you are older than 6 peruna is lame.

Slow, not mean, etc.

A real Mustang is so Cool. A horse that can kick your teams butt.

It's a little thing and peruna is still here. so enjoy.

For clarification, there is no way there is going to be a "real and powerful mustang" standing in Ford stadium. There is going to be a generic horse who's ancestors were mustangs. It isn't going to kick anythings butt. It is going to stand there drugged or get ridden around by someone dressed up like a cowboy.

I acknowledge that some people may think a this is better than what we have. But let's all be real - this isn't going to be some wild exciting horse rearing up and kicking everything. It's just going to be a standard horse.

And, if it is true to it's "mustang" roots, it is going to be SMALL for a full-sized horse. I'm sure we'll still have people complaining it is too small compared to other school's horses.

That is why I love Peruna - it side steps the whole issue of who's horse is biggest by embracing something totally different.

[RednBlue11]

i want my horse to be bigger

[jtstang]

i want my horse to be bigger

[redpony]

Nothing like 'pony envy'

GO PONIES!!!

[RednBlue11]

i want my horse to be bigger

what about my horse?