M brand being devalued

Submitted by UAUM on
So I constantly peruse MDen and other sites that sell Michigan gear for new cool stuff. However, after the recent post regarding MDen new site design up; 2011 gear designs revealed, and my subsequent viewing of the MDen site, I am thoroughly disappointed in Dave Brandon's marketing efforts.
Michigan, and in particular the block M, is an invaluable trademark, and DB is pissing it away. The silly stitched block M on the ND game jerseys looks like a total fad. However, the worse sin is the fact that the vintage circle block M in the yellow circle on so many decent looking shirts, which IMO do look cool, is totally overshadowed by the equally large Adidas logo. That's so disappointing on Dave's part.
That cool vintage circle block M logo should not be juxtaposed a massive corporate logo. M should have paid for that design outright and simply marketed it on its own. It's not like anyone goes to the Adidas website for M gear. Why do we need that logo plastered all over our sweet shirts? I for one refuse to buy anything with corporate logos so prominently displayed upon them.

Ron_Lippitt

July 8th, 2011 at 10:56 AM ^

I have never been a fan of the newer "burn-my-retina" yellow that Addidas and Nike love.

 

That aside, I was in MDen a few weeks ago, and was looking for the old-school traditional blue hat that Bo Schembechler wore for like 20 years.  Simple blue cap with the traditional block M that doesn't look like it was put on growth hormone.

 

Nothing.....

LB

July 8th, 2011 at 11:03 AM ^

since that #$#$% Canham gave away all those seats to fill the stadium, and started marketing to wimmin.Then he turned around and hired that guy from Ohio, for crying out loud.

mikel796

July 8th, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^

bigger things in life to complain about.  I like some of Nike's stuff.  I didn't like some of Nike's stuff.  And now, I like some of Adidas' stuff and I don't like some of Adidas' stuff.  And the best thing about it is the world still goes around each day.

swdude12

July 8th, 2011 at 12:37 PM ^

I understand adidas has a 3 stripe logo...but do you need to incorporate 3 stripes into everything? there are 3 stupid stripes are every where.

BlueHills

July 8th, 2011 at 1:07 PM ^

Frankly, there's something troubling with the idea that a major university needs to be a "brand" at all. The University of Michigan is in fact not a product generally available in the marketplace; the consumer can't buy a Michigan degree. One is admitted to Michigan by virtue of various combinations of effort, testing, etc. (including athletic effort). One then earns the degree.

Ultimately, it is the value of that degree that should be the "brand," but that's in an ideal world, where one would also want any items bearing the institution's symbols to reflect the value of that degree.

So in that world, maybe you'd have to have Armani or some other great designer create the school's football fan apparel.

However, reality is that very few people could buy it, and selling it wouldn't do the athletic department much good. So they license the symbols to mass-manufacturers of sporting goods like Adidas, and if that means obnoxious-looking trucker hats with the M logo, well, that kind of sucks but it is what we have for now.

Just for grins I went to the Harvard web store to see the kind of merch they're offering, and it's actually a lot more like the stuff that was available from Michigan suppliers in the 60s-70s; more traditional looking hats, Ts, sweats, etc. 

So it is possible for a university to restrict the available offerings to more traditional (and some might say classy) things, but Brandon isn't going to be the guy to do that because rightly or wrongly he views his job to be raising as much money as possible, and not being very picky about the quality of the resulting image.

 

jmblue

July 8th, 2011 at 1:30 PM ^

That's all great on a philosophical level, but in the real world, where the AD has to find a way to pay for 27 sports teams (24 of which lose money), keep their facilities up-to-date, and pay out-of-state tution for all scholarship athletes, he has to find ways to pay the bills.

Wolverine Devotee

July 8th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^

For people who don't like the bright Maize, when I painted my room I went to Home Depot and put my bright ass Maize Rage shirt to the machine and it copied the exact color and I painted my walls in that color. Get over it. I love the Maize. It is intense and the Blue cools it down. Best two fucking colors on the planet.

I also like adidas. The only negative things are those goofy looking Player Hats the elephant tusk-Maize piping on the hips of the Football road jerseys. But as I've seen from practices, they're using the TechFit jerseys that don't have it anymore.

OMG Shirtless

July 8th, 2011 at 9:03 PM ^

Every year for as long as I've been alive, they've come out with new gear.  Some of it is terrible.  Some of it is awesome.  This year is no different.  People just like bitching.