Mascots
College campuses offer a full slate of resources that might further an a cappella group’s artistic accomplishments and exposure. Who should your group reach out to? How? What do you have to gain? Campus Connections is here to answer those questions.
This column is targeted specifically toward collegiate a cappella groups, though some of the principles and ideas we discuss may transcend that sphere and be useful to high school and non-scholastic groups as well.
In this edition of Campus Connections, our focus is on: mascots.
At colleges across the country, and particularly at big universities with at which there is a pronounced sports presence, there are few figures more recognizable than the school mascot. Whether it’s Big Red at Western Kentucky, Otto the Orange at Syracuse, or Puddles the Duck at the University of Oregon, these figures are inspirational, lovable, and nothing if not some of the most recognizable personalities on campus.
Making a connection with your campus mascot opens up all sorts of possibilities for publicity. Perhaps the mascot will be willing to take a picture with your group for Facebook, or wear your group’s t-shirt at a small event. In either case, having the mascot affiliated with your group is a magnet for attention.
To take things one step further, there’s a history of groups actually working with mascots on performances. This can be as simple as having the mascot stand outside the performance to help lure in audience members, or as pronounced as the mascot actually taking part in the performance, getting on stage to rouse some extra cheers and, in some cases, even participate in the choreography and make for an unforgettable performance.
Weaving a mascot into the scheme of you’re a cappella group—however briefly and to whatever degree—is like getting a celebrity endorsement. It will draw more ears to your product and make for one of your most entertaining performances.