The message is that July 1st, Texas A&M is joining the SEC.

While the billboard is simple, it does the job it was intended to do. Another mountain out of a molehill brought to you by TexAgs!

quote:

---

Please come talk to my boss. If this is all it takes to be good at marketing, I need an F-ing raise because I'm a genius.

---

Elsie, Obviously there is more to Cook's job than understanding that social media is important. I just think he has done a great job at reaching out and creating a conversation with the fan base. I Guarantee you there are a ton of AD VP's of Marketing that are not doing so.

I finally found a picture of this on someone's twitter. Given the distance from the road, I don't think a real intricate design would read anyway. It's not as bad as the online image makes it out to be for sure.

I will certainly concede that Jason uses social media extremely well.

This is a weak design with decent messaging. Not sure this kind of billboard is intended for call to action. Rather it's more for information and to generate excitement in an idea. Fine line but effective

location

location

location

gooseneck in front, with cell tower in back?


That sign needs to be closer to road, and at least twice as high up.

Wow! That is a long way from the road. After seeing that, no need for a call to action. This is just a simple awareness piece that works well.

At this point I am beating a dead horse, but I still don't understand the strategy here. Between Navasota and College Station, who doesn't know that A&M is joining the SEC? I know that they are putting boards up throughout the state in the near future, but the creative should be used to generate more excitement.

This was our WBB Nat champs billbaord. Didn't want to lose it before our big push later in the summer. This graphic is a space saver.

Get us something up here in Dallas! Perhaps something on 35 leaving the state for those recruits that are that are "visiting" other places

p-wonk01 - They will be in your area later this summer. As well as Houston and Austin.

They will have Welcome billboards on the major interstates entering the State telling everyone this is SEC country too.

quote:

---

Didn't want to lose it before our big push later in the summer. This graphic is a space saver.

---

this

Actually, based on its location and the stated purpose, to hold the board until the Big Push, I'd say it's right on the money.

Decade plan, then why not at least be simple and clever till then?

Just do a dark maroon background with "under construction" in white lettering in a unique typeface?

Simple: defined as "common or ordinary;inconsequential or rudimentary,lacking mental acuteness or sense; unsophisticated".


Yup, that ad is simple alright.

[This message has been edited by TxElsie (edited 5/1/2012 10:55a).]

Everything we did here costs money to design. If that was a painted on the billboard (it looks like a tarp overlay, heaven help us!), it'd be different.

It's not really a billboard at all, but more or less an "Under Construction" holder.

Listen, I'm big on style and looking professional. Let's use that money when we are ready to create that billboard.

quote:

---

The message is that July 1st, Texas A&M is joining the SEC.

While the billboard is simple, it does the job it was intended to do

---

Like agh10 said, who doesn't know that? Especially in that location? I agree it looks better than it did online, but it's still boring. I'm glad it gets the Hank Hill seal of approval though.


I really wish they would've set up an information initiative via social media. A hashtag campaign would have been perfect. Something like #A&M-SEC, so it would be easy to get all the information you could want about the move. A separate school sponsored Twitter feed with links to all kinds of media and data such as schedules, links to the other schools websites, athletic information, how A&M stacks up etc... They could have really done it right and even had visitors guides to the towns of the SEC schools. Just a big miss in my opinion.

Why is it a miss? Is it too late to do all that?

Why can't WE start the Twitter campaign? We've done more with less (#Big12ThanksgivingParty anyone?)

quote:

---

Listen, I'm big on style and looking professional. Let's use that money when we are ready to create that billboard.

---

I don't get that attitude Decade. I see what you're saying, but they have literally known about this for months. People are acting like they just realized a week ago they needed a new billboard, therefore it's ok to put up something this bland, because it's a "space saver". If it's a space saver fine, but it could still be better.

Sex Panther,

That was sort of my point earlier in this thread. Hold the space till the next ad goes up, but get feedback till then.

Also, I think duffelpud's first one is really cool

Guys, the A&M media team has repeatedly said that they are targeting a uniform and high visibility advertising campaign after we officially moved all the boxes out of the Big 12 offices. It's the exact right thing to do to wait. There's no need to go around burning bridges and thumbing our nose at other schools that we are geographically close to and will be playing again in the future by employing a media blitz campaign before we're even fully out the door - all that does is undermine the school's reputation.

Money doesn't get spent without a lot of thought going into it, and the SEC logo doesn't get thrown out there without a lot of discussion beforehand. Maybe consider why a more subtle advertisement was preferred to a glitzy one, because like all of you said, it would have only taken another 5 minutes....

quote:

---

Like agh10 said, who doesn't know that? Especially in that location? I agree it looks better than it did online, but it's still boring. I'm glad it gets the Hank Hill seal of approval though.

---

I think that is the point. There is no need for a glitzy and sparkling billboard in this location. People already know about this.

dufflepud, as clever I like the 1st and 3rd ones. BXII logo on the junk heap was a nice touch, as was the SEC logo on the beach as it will be close to how this thing will start.

It's amazing how everyone is an expert without any knowledge of budgets, timelines, and resources. Much less a background in marketing or design. Jason Cook has been doing this for a while now and knows a hell of a lot more the any one of you or all of you combined. He knows where every dollar is being spent and how every on of his resources are being used.

This is probably how the conversation went.

"We need to make sure we don't lose the billboard on 6. We can use it for the upcoming campaign."

"Do it then. Just do it cheap since it's a one-off and our budget has been spent on the campaign."

"Let's use it to make sure folks know the official date." OK make sure it is simple and highly legible because the billboard is a considerable distance from the highway.

That is how you deal with a one-off that does not have a budget. You don't start another campaign because you can't. You can't push it too much because then you have to get too many people involved to make sure the message is on target and on brand. The BB's posted by duffelpud above are clever but are not part of what is trying to be accomplished from a brand perspective.

Is it going to be noticed by people driving by at 75? Yes.

Will they remember it? It's likely they will because there is nothing else getting in the way of the date.

Is the design boring? Yes it is. But the SEC logo is not a common site in Texas yet. So make it BIG.

[This message has been edited by Citizen Reign (edited 5/1/2012 12:28p).]

Every time I see something with the bevel logo it is frustrating because that logo has many haters (and many flaws) yet A&M marketing continues to put it out there.

Even if the billboard is a "place holder" it could have been much better than the Bevel T with a barney purple background.



duffelpud,

This one is sharp. I think it would be even better if the aTm (no bevel version) and SEC logos were larger.









[This message has been edited by Old Main (edited 5/1/2012 2:06p).]

And put CMike instead of Von - love Von but we're looking forward not back.

Step away from your monitor six feet, look at the
design with the gal at the junkyard, and tell me
it works as a billboard.

Even up close, it looks like her luggage is a
vacuum cleaner.