Advertising campaign offers
Purdue football sequel to 'Goodguys'
 By
Keith Thomas
Editor in Chief
Coming this fall to a stadium near year, the Purdue
football saga continues.
Last year it was the "Goodguys," whose story ended
in dramatic fashion with a Big Ten tri-championship and a trip to the
Rose Bowl.
Part two, known as "Iron Pride," is being prepared
for and features a similar cast.
"This year, it's a different story," said Lori
Frost, Purdue athletic department promotions director. "It’s a
continuous journey."
Frost, along with her promotions staff and Haan
and Associates, a Lafayette advertising agency, are responsible for
the this year's football team promotional theme.
Following last year's successful movie-like marketing
campaign, the promotion's department decided that a sequel would be
better than trying to do something completely different.
"Last year, we knew the 'Goodguys' campaign was
incredibly successful," said Frost. "Instead of rivaling that, we decided
we were just going to do kind of a sequel."
The sequel still stars coach Joe Tiller. Although
the cast had to replace best supporting actor Drew Brees, Purdue's record-setting
quarterback, much of last year's cast remains in tact.
One of the primary themes for this season's promotion
is that "victory isn't the end, it's the beginning."
According to defensive tackle Matt Mitrione, he
and his teammates don't pay much attention to the advertising campaign,
but rather spending time paying attention to opponents.
"If the fans like it and it gets them fired up
for the season, then it serves its purpose," said Mitrione. "That makes
it effective."
Billboards for the ad campaign can be seen in various
places around the Greater Lafayette area, including signs on SR 38 and
I-65. Billboards can also be found in the surrounding communities of
Monticello, Logansport, Renssalear and Crawfordsville.
The movie preview-style commercials can be seen
now on local cable stations and a second version of the preview will
likely debut in early July. Dan Osborne, who does a lot of Indianapolis
area commercials and radio advertisements and is the voice of the movie
commercials this year and last season, is "becoming a Purdue fan" because
of the consistent voice-overs.
Like the commercials, the billboard ads will evolve
too, as the season approaches. The first round of billboards read, "Coming
Soon." The second wave will promote, "Coming This Fall," and the final
version will include, "Now Playing."
In addition, all returning and new students alike
will receive a post card in the mail with the new campaign, which is
a mirror of movie promotional posters that can be spotted decorating
most theaters.
But the main question Ross-Ade viewers may want
to know is if this is the final episode or if this campaign will revolve
into a trilogy.
"I don't think it's out of the question," said
Frost. "One of the thing we like with a movie type promotion, is that
we can be a little more dramatic."
The pre-game film will receive a dramatic makeover
this fall as well, according to Frost. Gone is last season's pre-game
instructional tape. Frost said that video received a handful of complaints.
This year's, she said, should be much more exciting for the fans.
"It's a true fire-up video," said Frost. "It's
a great mix of Purdue football that gets the fans ready for the game."
Mitrione said that kind of video with music could
potentially get the football team motivated prior to game time as well.
"If they play it at the right time, with some tight
highlights and some music with a beat, we’ll be fired up," he said.
Only one complaint was received about the content
of last year's "Goodguys" campaign, which Frost said she was pleased
with. Especially considering the "Air-Strike '99" campaign of two years
ago received criticism of being war-promoting and even as far as being
insensitive to school shootings.
Frost doesn't anticipate any problems associated
with this year's campaign and with the success of last year's production,
expects a four-star review from the critics.
This year's campaign, which also comes in a pocket
schedule size, features a variety of football players from offense and
defense including Mitrione, defensive end Akin Ayodele, running back
Montrell Lowe, tight end Tim Stratton and others. Tiller, according
to Frost, has the principal say on who is featured in the ads and on
the posters.
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