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New Billiken to be revealed


DoctorB

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21 minutes ago, SluSignGuy said:

Not sure where a non-facebook version of this video is, but this was well done

 

 

I still think they should revise the look (close the mouth and make the gradation more subtle), but I suspect this is what they've locked in on.  I guess I can get used to it.

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2 minutes ago, hsmith19 said:

Can somebody explain how the hair is supposed to match the shape of the new fleur de lis? I'm still not seeing it at all.

Yes, it's there if you really look closely.  I thought at first that it was a crown, as one of the old Billikens wore a small crown.

I actually like this lean, Fierce Billiken over his fat ancestors. Even the two face, white and grey split, is growing on me.  This is my school, my alma mater (x2), I chose it twice, including once over Notre Dame, and I'm still proud to be a Billiken!

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3 minutes ago, Quality Is Job 1 said:

I still think they should revise the look (close the mouth and make the gradation more subtle), but I suspect this is what they've locked in on.  I guess I can get used to it.

I'm not an expert on mascot costume design, but the person in the costume has to be able to see out. The more open mouth accomplishes that. I think '05 mentioned that the old one was difficult to see out of, so maybe this is an improvement.

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15 minutes ago, DeSmetBilliken said:

I'm not an expert on mascot costume design, but the person in the costume has to be able to see out. The more open mouth accomplishes that. I think '05 mentioned that the old one was difficult to see out of, so maybe this is an improvement.

The damn gray color looks different every time I see it...

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8 minutes ago, LongLiveLisch said:

I suppose feel free to use it, although it's not particularly realistic. Someone mentioned the open mouth is needed to see, and I understand that. But the open mouth sacrifices looks for functionality, and that's lazy.

That and I actually like the open mouth. But that's just me. Looks "more real" whatever that's worth. You could definitely get white mesh to see out of the mouth area.

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Perhaps not as much functionality as safety. As 05 pointed out, previous iterations without the mouth open were dangerous in the context of unlevel surfaces and going up and down stairs, which are pretty much required for the Billiken. 

I'm pretty sure, however, that there are now fabrics that are similar to what they use for advertisements on bus windows (you can't see in, but you can see out). My wife works with this stuff -- I'll ask her. 

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14 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

On the video are Bishop, Johnson, and Moore, right?  Moore 6'6" looks taller than Johnson, who is listed at 6'7".  Could be just the way the video was shot.

I went to high school with Zeke. His sophomore year he was a legit 6'4. I've seen him on campus since and he's definitely at least 6'6. So I'm guessing zeke is listed at height or below. And Jalen is listed a little taller than he actually is, a la Milik Yarbrough

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37 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

On the video are Bishop, Johnson, and Moore, right?  Moore 6'6" looks taller than Johnson, who is listed at 6'7".  Could be just the way the video was shot.

 

20 minutes ago, hmart23 said:

I went to high school with Zeke. His sophomore year he was a legit 6'4. I've seen him on campus since and he's definitely at least 6'6. So I'm guessing zeke is listed at height or below. And Jalen is listed a little taller than he actually is, a la Milik Yarbrough

I would say Jalen is probably a little taller than Zeke.  In the preview pic of that video, Jalen is stooping slightly to put his arm around The Billiken, but his shoulders are a little higher than Zeke's.

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2 hours ago, Box and Won said:

Pestello is handling this masterfully.  I thought his line about the Billiken going through puberty was hilarious.

It makes me question whether or not he is doing the Tweets.

If the Tweets are authentically Pestello then he deserves a lot more followers.

As for the mascot, clearly they did not focus group this before the debut.  They should have had students in on the design process.

I think they could keep the two-tone if they lighten the gray.  I am OK with the open mouth, but they need to fix the one eye closed/one big blue eye open look.  Just have two eyes open.

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I did not care for the new logo last year but in time it grew on me - familiarity breeds acceptance I guess.  The first time I saw the new mascot I was not impressed but now after a few days of looking at it I am not as put off by it and perhaps when I see it in person I will actually start to be OK with it.  I think part of the problem with how people feel about it is that we have always had this nice chubby looking mascot for years and people have just come to think about the Billiken in those terms.  Adding a little toughness to the mascot is so radically different that people will need more time to adjust.  At this point I am thinking maybe all of this is good - new attitude in the program, new coach breaking all the old ways we had gotten use to, now a new logo and mascot to go along.  If the new mascot brings us better luck go forward - maybe it can actually make things be the way they should be as opposed just hoping that it is.  Pestello has handled the situation well - the video was very well down as others have said - and I think all this publicity - including the Deadspin article while not flattering has brought attention to the school - any PR is good PR even bad PR kind of thinking.  By the way, I am sure there were some focus group type work done - how much or how it was done who knows but today nobody simply sits down and dreams up something without some testing I would think.

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1 hour ago, WUH said:

It makes me question whether or not he is doing the Tweets.

If the Tweets are authentically Pestello then he deserves a lot more followers.

As for the mascot, clearly they did not focus group this before the debut.  They should have had students in on the design process.

I think they could keep the two-tone if they lighten the gray.  I am OK with the open mouth, but they need to fix the one eye closed/one big blue eye open look.  Just have two eyes open.

At a recent university meet and greet I was introduced to a young man who was a recent hire in charge of social media for the university.Whether this his work or Dr. P it has been well done. 

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Since no publicity is bad publicity, ask Ferguson, MO how they feel about that statement. The Billiken has become a national joke and it's just a bad day? Sure wish Dr. Pestello was so creative and clever before he released this mascot! Ignoring or dismissing upset fans and alumni isn't a good business move. Not when people with no affinity to your institution are laughing and it's national fodder. Now we can turn this whole deal into a "we don't bully a fictional character mascot" situation. Just win basketball games and stay out of designing mascots. Please! I doubt Gonzaga fans are focused on the mascot.

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I decided to spend more time this because uh....whatever, I did. Here is a more fluid version of an all white Billiken mascot.  One with a smirk mouth as I prefer, and one with his mouth open. You'll notice on the Billiken with the smirk that he has kind of a grainy shadow above his mouth, this is to simulate what they would need to do to allow someone to see out of it. 

 

BillikenBigMouth.jpg

BillikenCloseMouth.jpg

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