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.

BlockM

July 8th, 2011 at 1:16 AM ^

What do you want, a cookie? This is like, your opinion, man. Sorry you were born in 1842, it must be rough.

On a more serious note, have you seen the Nike pro-combat jerseys? Adidas might not be as popular as Nike, but you're kidding yourself if you think that Nike wouldn't be trying to "modernize" the brand or do some sort of pseudo-throwback.

They're shirts. Go think about something that actually matters.

UAUM

July 8th, 2011 at 1:25 AM ^

It's about recognizing the true value of our brand and not diluting it with some other brand's logo.  

The Block M has an amazing amount of value and unless we are getting an AMAZING amount of cash for displaying the Adidas logo so prominently on all of our gear, IMO, we are devaluing our M brand.

Obviously, I don't know the financials, but as a purchaser of merchandise; however, I am dissuaded to buy M merchandise with such a pominent Adidas logo on it, which shows how the corporate logo is devaluing our brand.

BTW, I graduate from M in '02, so yeah, man, I'm not some old fogey.

yoopergoblue

July 8th, 2011 at 1:38 AM ^

Have you ever considered that maybe it is in their contract that Adidas has the right to present their logo to a certain size?  They did give us the biggest contract in the entire country a few years ago so we obviously had to concede a few things to them.  And *GASP* this was before the Dave Brandon you seem to have it out for was our athletic director!  Do yourself a favor and worry about more important things than a apparel logo on our uniforms because you nor I have no control of things like this.

sbeck04

July 8th, 2011 at 4:59 AM ^

I'm class of 09 and I would never own M apparel that had any logo on it that even remotely rivaled the block M. I guess I'm already in the over 30 crowd too. If I wanted an adidas shirt I would buy one. Personally I would rather have custom shirts made locally for less money and support a local business run by fellow alum. Could just be me but fuck adidas.. I've never never been happy with any of their actual sporting goods. Ever.

sbeck04

July 8th, 2011 at 4:59 AM ^

I'm class of 09 and I would never own M apparel that had any logo on it that even remotely rivaled the block M. I guess I'm already in the over 30 crowd too. If I wanted an adidas shirt I would buy one. Personally I would rather have custom shirts made locally for less money and support a local business run by fellow alum. Could just be me but fuck adidas.. I've never never been happy with any of their actual sporting goods. Ever.

Baldbill

July 8th, 2011 at 8:06 AM ^

Watch it...I resemble that remark.

 

Love the free market, if you don't like it, don't buy it. No one is putting a gun to your head. You can find other M-gear that doesn't have an addias logo on it.

NEXT!

JBE

July 8th, 2011 at 1:37 AM ^

Good luck in your fight against a corporate world that is well on its way to putting a stamp on every morsel of life. 

Bando Calrissian

July 8th, 2011 at 1:44 AM ^

I mean, I hate a lot of the adidas stuff, and the new white hockey jerseys are pretty much terrible, but at the end of the day...  I'm just going to keep wearing the cache of Nike stuff I still have hanging around and not spend 30 bucks on a t-shirt again.  The University is getting a crap ton of money out of this, and that's worth something, I guess.

WolvinLA2

July 8th, 2011 at 12:19 PM ^

Yeah, but you were the one who started a whole thread about it, and instead of saying they're ugly, you're implying that the M brand is being devalued, and not only that, you're blaming our athletic director who wasn't even the AD when this contract was signed.

That's why I think your post is dumb, anyway.

Michael

July 8th, 2011 at 1:51 AM ^

If I understand this correctly, you e-mailed Dave Brandon, but addressed him as he would address himself in the third person?* Is this supposed to be ironic?

**ATTN: English majors, or otherwise enlightened people: what is this concept? I'm imagining receving an e-mail like this:

Dear Michael,

I'd like to strongly protest what Michael is doing to the Michigan brand. If you could please express to him my strong displeasure, I would be most grateful. He is ruining my ability to enjoy life.

Sincerely,

UAUM

P.S. I'm intentionally trying to make your head explode.

 

IPFW_Wolverines

July 8th, 2011 at 2:18 AM ^

OP you must understand. Opinions are only allowed on this board if it is pro DB/Hoke. If you in anyway do not like something pertaining to either of these two men keep it to yourself. If you want to be part of the in crowd then make a post bashing RR in some way. Then you'll receive numerous pats on the back for your opinion.

 

Edit: See what I mean. You can't even point out how it works here without getting negged.

Noleverine

July 8th, 2011 at 2:51 AM ^

Don't act shocked you got negged for that.  You posted that trying to be some sort of MGoPariah.  

See?  You can't even stick this fork in the elctrical outlet without getting shocked.  The world has it out for forks.

gobluednicks

July 8th, 2011 at 2:52 AM ^

someone who gets it.  this is definitely a great website, HOWEVA, most of the people who comment here are total dipshits without their own real opinion.  They wanna be/please Brian sooo bad they just say shit they think he would.  the comments and posts, for the most part, add nothing to the site.  all these people do is keep others who may have their own opinion from stating it.  i do think it's ironic how most of the jerks around here act just like buckeye fans do.  i live in ohio and have been around dumbass buckeye fans all my life.  i truly thought they were one of a kind until i found this website and then i realized you're all just like them.  it's like some stupid fucking club from jr high and if you don't agree with us then we'll just beat the hell out of you to teach you a lesson.  some people really need to grow up.  so he stated his opinion big fucking deal.  the fact that the first and second replies both said "maybe you should find something better to worry about" all while THEY were worried about this one guys opinion should tell you a lot.  apparently they're not too bright.

tdcarl

July 8th, 2011 at 2:50 AM ^

Because stuff pre-Adidas never ever had a Nike logo on it...People need to get over themselves and realize that its still just a shirt. A shirt. Its not like, "Welcome to Adidas Stadium" or the "Michigan Adidas Union." Its just a shirt/hat/jacket. If you don't like it, don't buy it. No one is taking the money out of your pocket and making you buy it.

I for one like the Adidas stuff. The large fits me better than any other brand out there and I have an amazing 1/4 zip pullover that I love and never saw anything like it when Nike was around.

Seth9

July 8th, 2011 at 3:29 AM ^

1. Adidas signed a contract with us that pays $7.5 million per year last I checked so that they can put their logo on the apparal they produce for the univeristy, which includes the shirts you are talking about. Furthermore, adidas is contractually obligated to ensure that the Michigan contract at least matches the biggest contract of its type made with any other university, meaning that if adidas were to sign a bigger contract with, say, Penn State, they'd have to increase our contract to Penn State's level. As such, we are making a ton of money (somewhere around a third of our TV revenue) to simply incorporate the adidas logo on these shirts. That is not devaluing the block M brand. It is increasing its value.

2. This contract was negotiated by Bill Martin, not Dave Brandon.

Solar Bob

July 8th, 2011 at 4:43 AM ^

and that mascots, alternative uniforms, etc that detract from tradition hurt the brand. If this is a one time thing, it's not the end if the world. If we turn into the football equivalent of a shitty NHL team and start rolling out ugly alternative uniforms every time we're on national tv, then everybody better get off my lawn.

SteelBrad

July 8th, 2011 at 5:58 AM ^

To sum up this post....

Waaaaaa!

I'm tired of all this bitching. You do realize that retail stores like Meijer, Walmart, etc. have been carrying cheap looking shit for decades right?

Maximinus Thrax

July 8th, 2011 at 6:51 AM ^

Not to mention the fact that at one point in the recent past we had two! Steve and Barry's stores on opposite sides of State Street selling the cheapest M merchandise conceivable.

Carcajous

July 8th, 2011 at 7:10 AM ^

How soon we forget that Michigan has, for a long long time, been agressive in marketing its "brand" in corporate ways. Don Canham, perhaps our greatest AD of all time, was famous for this.... he took a lot of crap for it at the time ("cheapening the M brand").

If anything, Brandon is picking up the Canham mantle.

maizenbluenc

July 8th, 2011 at 7:31 AM ^

a nice Champion reverse weave sweatshirt that says MICHIGAN across the front in old maize letters and be happy.

Just don't buy the Adidas stuff if you don't like it.

GoBlueMAGNUS

July 8th, 2011 at 7:53 AM ^

Then don't buy it. We've been selling crap since the beginning. Change out your Michigan brand tampax and wipe your eyes with some Michigan tissues. Its always been like this.

BiSB

July 8th, 2011 at 8:32 AM ^

Well, in recent years, the world has shifted more and more to the "money can be exchanged for goods and services" economic model. So when Adidas said, "we would like to give you a shit-ton of money, Bill Martin said to himself, "gee, we could exchange that money for such things as gigantic-ass new scoreboards, stadium renovations, and better coffee at Schembechler Hall. Deal!."

Now, Adidas was also aware of this shifting economic paradigm, and they demanded that in exchange for the shit-ton of money and free gear, they are allowed to put a little logo in the upper corner. Michigan reluctantly agreed.  Dave Brandon then became AD, and said to himself, "gee, as fun as a giant breach of contract dispute with a huge apparel company would be, it might be pretty time consuming. And they'd take back their shit-ton of money.  Plus then we'd have to find a new sponsor. Or I'd have to make the stuff myself, but I'm not very handy with a sewing machine.  Okay, let's stick with Adidas."

If this troubles you, I completely understand.  If you go to the MDen, they probably still have a few replica 1997 Rose Bowl jerseys.  I'm sure those are free from any other corporate tradem...

Oh. I see what's happening here. DAMN DAVE BRANDON AND HIS TIME MACHINE

TorontoBlue

July 8th, 2011 at 9:02 AM ^

Believe it or not, I bought my fave M t-shirt last fall at Van Boven.  Local dude makes em for VB.  Navy with Maize print, it has the M logo superimposed into the SuperMan logo on the chest and "16" on the back but the number is made out of shoelaces forming the two numbers.  It gets lots of love whenever I wear it. 

Also, for Adidas-haters, If I remember correctly Jason Carr (Lloyd's son) is the Adidas rep for UM.  Just sayin. . . .

GBOD!

Naked Bootlegger

July 8th, 2011 at 9:28 AM ^

However, the worse sin is the fact that the vintage circle block M in the yellow circle on so many decent looking shirts...

I think "worser" would've been a better word choice.

/S

Kennyvr1

July 8th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^

Understand is how anyone thought Dave Brandon was going to help brand M better??? He helped run dominoes for the last 17 years. I'll give dominoes the thin crust. It's good now but the rest of their pizza is poop on a stick. 17 years. Their pizza has been shit the whole time.