Smu Billboards

emmitt01 · July 30, 2008

Does the third one acknowledge that winning football on the hilltop is a relative impossibility? :lol:

UNTFan23 · July 30, 2008

Please elaborate.

UNTflyer · July 30, 2008

UNTflyer · July 30, 2008

Yes, they really did pay for billboards that look like they were put up 20 years ago.

June Cometh.

Pony Up.

I guess money can't buy good ideas.

Mean Green Matt · July 30, 2008

I don't think a majority of people will even know what they are referring to with "June cometh."

UNTFan23 · July 30, 2008

I wonder which cost more - the billboard or the price they paid for someone to dream that up. :blink:

GoMeanGreen1999 · July 30, 2008

Yes, they really did pay for billboards that look like they were put up 20 years ago.
June Cometh.
Pony Up.
I guess money can't buy good ideas.

I was about to give them some credit for advertising until you put the photo up of it - you are right though, it does look like it is 20 year old.

dodgefan · July 30, 2008

Does NT put billboards in Dallas, or just in the Denton area?

Mean Green Matt · July 30, 2008

Does NT put billboards in Dallas, or just in the Denton area?

haha, I haven't seen all that many in Denton...

UNTflyer · July 30, 2008

Does NT put billboards in Dallas, or just in the Denton area?

Sore subject. Our only billboard is on the stadium.

Mean Green Matt · July 30, 2008

Sore subject. Our only billboard is on the stadium.

Good thing is, if you could only choose one spot, thats close to the best location possible. <_<

untcampbell · July 30, 2008

The billboard thing (our lack of funds spent to publicize the upcoming season) is an annual discussion that used to rival stadium talk, back when we first discussed new facilities.

I am in SE ID/NE Utah. Passed through Logan on the way to Bear Lake today and saw an old building (barn maybe) that had the Utah State football schedule professionally painted on its side....looked great. Would like to see something similar at some of the key gateways to NT (near Lewisville Lake, south of Sanger, south of Denton/114 area, etc).

gmg

Scott Campbell

LongJim · July 30, 2008

I don't think a majority of people will even know what they are referring to with "June cometh."

Perhaps Justin Willis does.

UNTflyer · July 30, 2008

Perhaps Justin Willis does.

forevereagle · July 30, 2008

For more information on billboards and why they may not be a good idea, please see this recent discussion.

filmerj · July 30, 2008

some would call that a "vintage" look. you know they have stated they want to get the program back to the good ole days. You know when they bought championships. I guess they are feeling nostalgic thus the "vintage" look on the billboard and the return of the white helmets.

Edited July 30, 2008 by filmerj

SouthernMustang · July 30, 2008

This is why I would never want to work in Marketing for a university athletic department.

You don't spend $ using an advertising firm to generate a campaign where you put signs in prominent places along the highway -- people b*tch that you aren't doing anything.

You do spend the $ and use a top-notch advertising firm, you take their work, and you put it prominent places along the highway -- people complain about the type of work.

The billboards look fine. They're not breathtakingly amazing. But if nothing else, it has big letters, and it has SMU football on it. People will at least think about it -- and even though I don't register SMU as much a national blip on the football radar, the June Jones story was huge and did make national headlines. I would venture to say anyone who knows anything about college football knows that June Jones is now coaching at SMU. I had an SMU alumni visor on in the DC airport and people there were congratulating me (as if I had done something to make it happen) on June Jones. I'm not saying we're going to be a national power, I'm just saying that it's fairly common knowledge.

As for Pony Up, not really a fan.. but I actually heard commentators all over using the phrase - so at least SMU's getting uttered and mentioned rather than completely ignored like they were previously.

And this is directed not just at UNT fans, even some SMUers complain about the marketing. I think SMU is now marketing b/c Orsini knows how to run an AD his own way. If you are not a strong-willed AD, why would you spend $ on marketing? All people are going to do is b*tch about it anyway.. hence they don't spend the $ and you don't see any publicity. SMU was this way every year under Copeland.

Edited July 30, 2008 by SouthernMustang

greenminer · July 30, 2008

For more information on billboards and why they may not be a good idea, please see this recent discussion.

No clear cut answer to billboards. It seems like an obvious name recognition tactic, but in the end can anyone quantify the results?

People here want a yes/no-black/white tell-all reason to have one, but it doesn't exist.

I'm of the opinion that if you're going to spend that much money to get your name out there, you better have a darned good product ready for the consumer. Otherwise, there's no staying power.

Green Mean · July 30, 2008

This is why I would never want to work in Marketing for a university athletic department.
You don't spend $ using an advertising firm to generate a campaign where you put signs in prominent places along the highway -- people b*tch that you aren't doing anything.
You do spend the $ and use a top-notch advertising firm, you take their work, and you put it prominent places along the highway -- people complain about the type of work.
The billboards look fine. They're not breathtakingly amazing. But if nothing else, it has big letters, and it has SMU football on it. People will at least think about it -- and even though I don't register SMU as much a national blip on the football radar, the June Jones story was huge and did make national headlines. I would venture to say anyone who knows anything about college football knows that June Jones is now coaching at SMU. I had an SMU alumni visor on in the DC airport and people there were congratulating me (as if I had done something to make it happen) on June Jones. I'm not saying we're going to be a national power, I'm just saying that it's fairly common knowledge.
As for Pony Up, not really a fan.. but I actually heard commentators all over using the phrase - so at least SMU's getting uttered and mentioned rather than completely ignored like they were previously.
And this is directed not just at UNT fans, even some SMUers complain about the marketing. I think SMU is now marketing b/c Orsini knows how to run an AD his own way. If you are not a strong-willed AD, why would you spend $ on marketing? All people are going to do is b*tch about it anyway.. hence they don't spend the $ and you don't see any publicity. SMU was this way every year under Copeland.

Couldnt agree more...I personally did not think that vintage billboard looked all that bad. Its something that SMU is proud about...its history which is a good one. Since SMU launched the Pony Up campaign...believe it or not I really do hear it a lot more now. I frankly think this thread is pointless because atleast SMU HAS billboards and is willing to spend the money to get their school, brand, name, product out there. We talk about the potential of UNT but where is it? Honestly tell me. Besides having 35K students, there really isn't any potential because potential is something you havent done as words from the great Darrell Royal.

trud1966 · July 30, 2008

Does anyone have a photo of the Billboard behind Fouts that had the "It's Wide Open" Campaign on it?

forevereagle · July 30, 2008

No clear cut answer to billboards. It seems like an obvious name recognition tactic, but in the end can anyone quantify the results?
People here want a yes/no-black/white tell-all reason to have one, but it doesn't exist.
I'm of the opinion that if you're going to spend that much money to get your name out there, you better have a darned good product ready for the consumer. Otherwise, there's no staying power.

I think my opinion on billboards is made pretty clear in that thread. But in short, if you can't determine if the money you are spending is creating a return, then why do it?

Let's use SMU as an example. If June Jones goes 7-5 this year and takes the team to a bowl game, and attendance goes up, was it because of the new coach/better record, or was it because of the billboards? Last year, we didn't have any billboards and our attendance increased (with the exception of one game). I don't think it is a wise use of resources, but if SMU thinks it is, more power to them.

Edited July 30, 2008 by forevereagle

meangreendork · July 30, 2008

I was about to give them some credit for advertising until you put the photo up of it - you are right though, it does look like it is 20 year old.

That's the whole point here.

I guess they are feeling nostalgic thus the "vintage" look on the billboard and the return of the white helmets.

I think they're trying to forget about all the purchased players. I'd wanna forget about that too. But your reasoning on that style is probably accurate.

I think my opinion on billboards is made pretty clear in that thread. But in short, if you can't determine if the money you are spending is creating a return, then why do it?

Probably to make sure all of the media bases are covered with hope to bring in as many fans/potential fans as possible.

Frankly, that's not a bad billboard. The writing is smart, the style is good. The thing is, I don't know for sure if that was the right angle to take on the program. It's a risky way to discuss what they're trying to sell, but it's a lot better than "It's Wide Open". Frankly, our Athletics Marketing Dept needs to turn over their work to someone else. To this day, I don't know why everything in every athletics department publication has to have a green glow.