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Changes in Branding for Athletics


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This sort of dispells the "they are trying to bury it on a Friday" feeling. If they are pulling back the sheet on the entire basketball court, then someone is pumped about it.

I'm nervous, but I'll wait and see before I burn Dubourg down.

It's the 4:00 timing that makes it tough. Hopefully a lot of undergrad students can make it then, because I doubt many others will be able to.

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It's the 4:00 timing that makes it tough. Hopefully a lot of undergrad students can make it then, because I doubt many others will be able to.

I get that... but as much as we hate to admit it on this blog sometimes scheduling at a University does center around University students.

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http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/14067435/uni-watch-2015-16-college-basketball-season-preview-november-madness?ex_cid=espntw

SLU should have done it before the season started. No mention of us in this extensive list. BTW Duquesne has 6 jerseys. All we want is 1 alternate is that too much to ask?!

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Should've been unveiled over homecoming weekend and let parents and alumni fork up money for all kinds of new merchandise. I would say I'm surprised it wasn't, but this is SLU.

Ding ding ding. The weekend where you have the most people on campus buying the most merchandise. Crazy thought. Unfortunately SLU apparently has no one on the payroll that has any idea about marketing.

While I am at it, the University marketing is just as terribly awful as the athletic department.

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http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/14067435/uni-watch-2015-16-college-basketball-season-preview-november-madness?ex_cid=espntw

SLU should have done it before the season started. No mention of us in this extensive list. BTW Duquesne has 6 jerseys. All we want is 1 alternate is that too much to ask?!

Those LaSalle Unis are soooo sick. I pray every night to be an Under Armour school. They go to bat for even the little guys.

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I've seen the new logo and the sky is not falling! I believe that the logo is more versatile than our current one. I think it takes a little inspiration from the old and mixes it with modern design. We will all not give a ###### about any of this a year from now.

Z-Man. I know we have disagreed on some things. But this is the finest thing you have ever said. Looking forward to seeing the new logo.

When will my Vineyard Vines tie be available?

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Out of curiosity, what was the reaction when the current Billiken logo and script was unveiled?

The Billiken mascot had been very lame. Someone will hopefully find and post a picture but it was nothing more than a student standing on the sideline wearing a bad, black tuxedo with a white Billiken head on top. Too tall, thin and awkward. No animation or interactive behavior. I did not have young children back then but I would sure think it scare people.

Mother Goose and Grimm cartoonist, Mike Peters, (who I believe is a St. Louis native) was asked by Athletic Director Debbie Yow to re-create or modernize the Billiken. At first, the initial reaction was "why change a good thing?" . Many questioned why the pointed ears, chin, etc. Many said the Billiken looked "cartoonish". Certainly, the Billiken did not look like the prior versions with the rounded features and no one (even back then) liked change or something new.

As to the mascot, I believe the first Billken wore a more formal suit. Someone correct me, but wasn't it more of a blue suit, possible tuxedo tails, large white shoes with the same, current over-sized head? A few years later, head remained the same but the outfit changed to the current Billiken with a more sporty look (tennis shoes, etc.)

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Don't take this as gospel, but I think one of the main driving issues in changing the old crown mascot logo is there was some kind of copyright/trademark issue. I was a kid back then, but I think I remember hearing that the school couldn't obtain a copyright/trademark for that logo.

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I know the one with the crown is very similar to the Billiken used by the Masonic organization Royal Order of Jesters:

$%28KGrHqRHJB!FI8q9Qe%28jBSU3MzPzO!~~60_Bil-03.jpg

Maybe that had something to do with it? I always thought it was funny that after brief mainstream popularity the Billiken ended up being associated with both Catholics and Freemasons.

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Mother Goose and Grimm cartoonist, Mike Peters, (who I believe is a St. Louis native) was asked by Athletic Director Debbie Yow to re-create or modernize the Billiken. At first, the initial reaction was "why change a good thing?" . Many questioned why the pointed ears, chin, etc. Many said the Billiken looked "cartoonish". Certainly, the Billiken did not look like the prior versions with the rounded features and no one (even back then) liked change or something new.

That's interesting. I don't think I've ever heard the Mike Peters story. Yes, he is in fact a native (CBC, IIRC) -- and for all you MBMs with senectitude/decrepitude, he's the son of early local TV icon (and barbecue maven via Charlotte's Rib) the late Charlotte Peters. And a really, really nice guy.

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That's interesting. I don't think I've ever heard the Mike Peters story. Yes, he is in fact a native (CBC, IIRC) -- and for all you MBMs with senectitude/decrepitude, he's the son of early local TV icon (and barbecue maven via Charlotte's Rib) the late Charlotte Peters. And a really, really nice guy.

Wash U. grad. Sigma Chi (for A-Bomb).

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Is not thetorch's avatar the old logo?

photo-100015.gif

This was the original. They had another one exactly the same but wearing a football uniform and cleats.

SLU changed the mascot a couple times in the 60s and 70s. They had a large, very rotund mascot with a crown and also a kind of huckster billiken that would chew straw that looked completely different. Then it went to the winking devilish head with the crown from the mid 70s to mid 80s. Finally it was changed to the more cartoonish Billiken in the mid 80s which rounded into form by the mid 90s. Basically the mascot and logo has been unchanged since 86.

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Don't take this as gospel, but I think one of the main driving issues in changing the old crown mascot logo is there was some kind of copyright/trademark issue. I was a kid back then, but I think I remember hearing that the school couldn't obtain a copyright/trademark for that logo.

So that's why this one can't be used? Interesting, if it's true. What about some tweaking/modernizing? Because if it were tweaked enough to look different enough not to infringe on anyone else's mark, it'd still probably be badass.

E3MHlO5.png

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I'm not sure if the trademark issue is real. For the longest time we didn't TM or license the new Billiken logo. It took us a decade to do that. A decent group of SLU graduated copyright lawyers could shut that down. SLU adopted the Billiken before anyone else. Our interpretation of it should take precedence.

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So that's why this one can't be used? Interesting, if it's true. What about some tweaking/modernizing? Because if it were tweaked enough to look different enough not to infringe on anyone else's mark, it'd still probably be badass.

E3MHlO5.png

I have a hat of this logo that I bought in the bookstore last year so I doubt we are not allowed to use it

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I have a hat of this logo that I bought in the bookstore last year so I doubt we are not allowed to use it

I had a Nike team-issued one with the same logo, as well. Freaking Ian Mooney said I should take the white material out inside that gives it a more rigid stand-up crown (a la MLB) and make it a more natural crown. Of course, when he started to do that, the whole front became wrinkled and dumb looking. I still wore it until the stretch-fit band wore out. RIP, only piece of SLU gear I had with the best logo ever.

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I had a Nike team-issued one with the same logo, as well. Freaking Ian Mooney said I should take the white material out inside that gives it a more rigid stand-up crown (a la MLB) and make it a more natural crown. Of course, when he started to do that, the whole front became wrinkled and dumb looking. I still wore it until the stretch-fit band wore out. RIP, only piece of SLU gear I had with the best logo ever.

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