• Home
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • News Tips/Press Releases
  • Advertising
Monday, May 16, 2022
No Result
View All Result
The Times-Delphic
  • News
    • All
    • Administrative News
    • Campus Events
    • Campus Health
    • Caucus Roundup
    • In Des Moines
    • Politics
    • Student Politics
    • Student Senate
    • The Ones

    Indira Sheumaker, city councilmembers find common ground among conflicts

    Drake urges community to remain cautious as reporting of new COVID-19 cases slows

    Drake urges community to remain cautious as reporting of new COVID-19 cases slows

    Drake to build University Center

    Student Senate passes resolution in support of the transgender community

    Drake welcomes first Black woman Student Body President

    Student Body President Morgan Coleman shares experiences as a leader

    • Administrative News
    • The Ones
    • Campus Events
    • Campus Health
    • Caucus Roundup
    • In Des Moines
    • Politics
    • Student Politics
    • Student Senate
    • Senate Elections
  • Sports
    • All
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Column
    • Cross-Country
    • E-Sports
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Rowing
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Tennis
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball

    Promising 2022 NFL Draft for Packers fans

    The two national parks you should visit this summer

    Des Moines lands news USL team and stadium district

    Former Drake Basketball Player Wins National Championship

    The Top Moves of NFL Free Agency

    • Basketball
    • Column
    • Cross-Country
    • E-Sports
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Rowing
    • Soccer
    • Softball
  • Commentary
    • All
    • Horoscope
    • Letter from the Editor
    • Letter to the Editor

    Hip astrology: Relays horoscope

    Painted Street ain’t so sweet when costs are heaped

    Commentary: Top 5 Self Care Tips

    Commentary: Top 5 Self Care Tips

    Commentary: How to meet your next partner in 2022

    Commentary: “Oh… We’re Not Dating…”

    • Horoscope
    • Letter from the Editor
  • Features
    • All
    • Greek Life
    Drake welcomes first Black woman Student Body President

    Student Body President Morgan Coleman shares experiences as a leader

    Painted Street recap

    Bam Bam wins Drake University’s 43rd annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest

    New Casey’s Location on Forest Avenue

    ADA student task force advocates for disability inclusion

    • Greek Life
  • Podcasts
    Drake Weekly Sports Podcast | December 3

    Drake Weekly Sports Podcast | December 3

    Drake Public Safety and the student body

    Drake Public Safety and the student body

    Humans of Drake Podcast

    Bulldog Blitz 1: December 7, 2010

    The Sports Report 2010 7: 11/09/2010

  • Relays Edition

    Bill that would make Iowa a hands-free driving state stalls in the legislature

    New Casey’s Location on Forest Avenue

    ADA student task force advocates for disability inclusion

    Des Moines lands news USL team and stadium district

    The Great Resignation: What Is It? And Why Is It Happening?

    The Great Resignation: What Is It? And Why Is It Happening?

    Hip astrology: Relays horoscope

    State of Sustainability at Drake

    Dean Kathleen Richardson: Leaving a Legacy for the Drake SJMC

    Painted Street ain’t so sweet when costs are heaped

    • Commentary
    • Coronavirus
    • Elections
    • Features
    • In Des Moines
    • News
    • This week in photos
    • Top News
    • Top Stories
    • Uncategorized
    • Video
    • Sports
    • Security Reports
    • Relays Edition
    • Poll
    • Podcasts
    • Online Exclusives
    • Opinion
  • News
    • All
    • Administrative News
    • Campus Events
    • Campus Health
    • Caucus Roundup
    • In Des Moines
    • Politics
    • Student Politics
    • Student Senate
    • The Ones

    Indira Sheumaker, city councilmembers find common ground among conflicts

    Drake urges community to remain cautious as reporting of new COVID-19 cases slows

    Drake urges community to remain cautious as reporting of new COVID-19 cases slows

    Drake to build University Center

    Student Senate passes resolution in support of the transgender community

    Drake welcomes first Black woman Student Body President

    Student Body President Morgan Coleman shares experiences as a leader

    • Administrative News
    • The Ones
    • Campus Events
    • Campus Health
    • Caucus Roundup
    • In Des Moines
    • Politics
    • Student Politics
    • Student Senate
    • Senate Elections
  • Sports
    • All
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Column
    • Cross-Country
    • E-Sports
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Rowing
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Tennis
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball

    Promising 2022 NFL Draft for Packers fans

    The two national parks you should visit this summer

    Des Moines lands news USL team and stadium district

    Former Drake Basketball Player Wins National Championship

    The Top Moves of NFL Free Agency

    • Basketball
    • Column
    • Cross-Country
    • E-Sports
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Rowing
    • Soccer
    • Softball
  • Commentary
    • All
    • Horoscope
    • Letter from the Editor
    • Letter to the Editor

    Hip astrology: Relays horoscope

    Painted Street ain’t so sweet when costs are heaped

    Commentary: Top 5 Self Care Tips

    Commentary: Top 5 Self Care Tips

    Commentary: How to meet your next partner in 2022

    Commentary: “Oh… We’re Not Dating…”

    • Horoscope
    • Letter from the Editor
  • Features
    • All
    • Greek Life
    Drake welcomes first Black woman Student Body President

    Student Body President Morgan Coleman shares experiences as a leader

    Painted Street recap

    Bam Bam wins Drake University’s 43rd annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest

    New Casey’s Location on Forest Avenue

    ADA student task force advocates for disability inclusion

    • Greek Life
  • Podcasts
    Drake Weekly Sports Podcast | December 3

    Drake Weekly Sports Podcast | December 3

    Drake Public Safety and the student body

    Drake Public Safety and the student body

    Humans of Drake Podcast

    Bulldog Blitz 1: December 7, 2010

    The Sports Report 2010 7: 11/09/2010

  • Relays Edition

    Bill that would make Iowa a hands-free driving state stalls in the legislature

    New Casey’s Location on Forest Avenue

    ADA student task force advocates for disability inclusion

    Des Moines lands news USL team and stadium district

    The Great Resignation: What Is It? And Why Is It Happening?

    The Great Resignation: What Is It? And Why Is It Happening?

    Hip astrology: Relays horoscope

    State of Sustainability at Drake

    Dean Kathleen Richardson: Leaving a Legacy for the Drake SJMC

    Painted Street ain’t so sweet when costs are heaped

    • Commentary
    • Coronavirus
    • Elections
    • Features
    • In Des Moines
    • News
    • This week in photos
    • Top News
    • Top Stories
    • Uncategorized
    • Video
    • Sports
    • Security Reports
    • Relays Edition
    • Poll
    • Podcasts
    • Online Exclusives
    • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Times-Delphic
No Result
View All Result
Home Features

Define Griff: why Drake’s beloved bulldog mascot is such a marketing success

byLORIEN MACENULTY
October 18, 2018
in Features, Relays Edition, Top Stories
0 0
0

Photos by Lórien MacEnulty

BY LÓRIEN MACENULTY

Griff seemed euphoric that a member of the Times-Delphic was at his house for an interview. He pranced vivaciously around his house, a mutilated, stuffed elephant between his jaws suffering the expression of the bulldog’s enthusiasm.

Just as he does to the elephant, Griff enthusiastically vessels the Drake University brand. Unlike the elephant, Drake’s brand thrives off Griff’s attention and sponsorship. That’s why the English bulldog of brindle and white coat is such a marketing success.

“As a mascot … [Griff] has done incredible things to personify Drake and what we believe in,” said Natalie Adkins, professor of marketing at Drake.

Griff is an extrovert with a busy schedule. He is a brother to rescue dogs Lottie and Magoo, who was the best friend of the late live mascot, Porterhouse. He’s a therapy dog that visits a special education class at Delaware Elementary every month. He has a Twitter account with over 4,000 followers, gets overwhelmingly excited about meal time and awkwardly ambushes leaves blowing on the ground.

Griff’s brother, rescue dog Magoo.

Many of these traits exemplify a concept called anthropomorphization: the process of ascribing human characteristics to non-human entities. Adkins said it is a successful technique employed through live mascot programs at universities. Just like humans, Griff wears shirts and ties, maintains social media accounts and donates to charity. He “speaks,” and people treat him like a celebrity.

Griff is even named after a human. The 1908 football coach John L. Griffith inspired Drake to adopt the bulldog mascot in the first place. Griffith often brought his two English bulldogs­—“playful pups whose ancestries were among the ritziest in dogdom,” according to a 1951 letter saved in the Cowles Library Archives—to practices and games.

Griff and his owner, Erin Bell.

“Yes, we ascribe human characteristics to him,” Adkins said. “We anthropomorphize all the time. We like to think that he recognizes us. We like to think that when we read the tweets that Erin [Griff’s owner] so craftily puts out, that we could hear the dog as if he’s actually talking.”

Drake is not the only university to take advantage of anthropomorphization. The Butler University bulldog delivers acceptance letters to prospective students and flaunts over 30,800 Twitter followers. The University of Colorado in Boulder owns a bison that runs across the football field before games to intimidate the opposition. Baylor University has three bears.

By contrast, the English bulldog may seem like a fragile choice for a mascot. They’re smaller and less athletic than American bulldogs and suffer a range of breathing problems, the result of an inbred, smashed snout. Griff’s caretaker and live mascot director Erin Bell said that English bulldogs are prone to other hygiene issues. Bell has to clean Griff’s nose rope (the fold above his nose) and tightly-kinked tail to avoid bacterial infection and skin irritation.

Despite their fragility, the bulldog is surprisingly common among university mascots. This begs the question: can we truly consider our wrinkled Griff unique?

Bell finds what Griff brings to Drake is rare.

“Bulldogs are stubborn,” Bell said. “They’re determined. Once [Griff’s] got his mind set on something, it’s impossible to talk him out of it. But at the same time, they’re approachable, they’re lovable, they’re cute in their own unique way. They’re gentle. I mean, we’ve got two human toddlers here in our house, and he’s just perfect with them. They’re a really unique animal.”

Photo courtesy of Drake Archives.

The live mascot program at Drake hasn’t always been so easy-going. In 1948, Drake’s own Butch II, a troublemaker of a bulldog, was put down after attacking and hospitalizing a 6-year-old girl near campus. Paula Jo Robinson, as she was called, suffered severe wounds to the right eye, forehad, scalp, right leg and arms but no rabies since Butch II was deemed not rabid. The resulting liability forced Drake to discontinue its live mascot program.

The University hosted an array of bulldogs in the past decade, including Old Spike, New Spike and Porterhouse—another Bell bulldog. Drake recommissioned the live mascot program in 2015 with Griff, a process that the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) partially facilitated.

Griff at home.

“Our stance, with any animal, is that the animal needs to always be the first consideration,” said Stephanie Filer, ARL Manager of Special Gifts & Partnerships. “Their welfare needs to be a consideration and equally, public safety needs to be a consideration. As long as the animal’s needs are being met, that they enjoy the job they are being asked to perform, and that they’re given adequate time to rest … and really that it’s something that they enjoy, then it can be a program that’s great for the dog.”

Filer said that having only one owner offers Griff the stability to perform his mascot duties, which are quite demanding at times. Bell makes sure Griff’s needs are fulfilled before those of the University are even entertained.

“I love how Drake uses his face,” Bell said. “I’m all for sharing him far and wide, and using his face and stuff. But I am also very protective of him, so if I ever felt like that was being infringed upon, I would definitely speak up. His happiness and his health and his well-being is always my priority, even if that disappoints other people.”

LORIEN MACENULTY

Next Post
Phantom Paint: the ghosts of Painted Streets past

Phantom Paint: the ghosts of Painted Streets past

Twitter Feeds

The Times-Delphic
The Times-Delphic @timesdelphic

BREAKING: Drake President Marty Martin announced in a campuswide email that Drake's number of active cases is projected to decline to 80 by the end of the day, down 241 since early Friday afternoon.
View on Twitter
2
10
The Times-Delphic
The Times-Delphic @timesdelphic

We've added an update to this article about the COVID-19 surge on campus. https://t.co/MaXtlQ4w2j
View on Twitter
0
4

Recommended

Students plan #UniteIowa event about race

6 years ago

Student Senate passes resolution in support of the transgender community

2 weeks ago

Popular News

  • Twitch Streamer Raises Money for LGBT Community

    Twitch Streamer Raises Money for LGBT Community

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Gladwell’s “Outliers” reveals the many factors of success

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Drake ranks among Ivy Leagues on Economist list

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The history of Indian boarding schools in Iowa

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Music as a political platform

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Drake Weekly Sports Podcast | December 3

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Humans of Drake Podcast

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Sports Report 2010 7: 11/09/2010

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Familiar face helps bring massive skatepark to Des Moines

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The rise and fall of Motown Records

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Connect with us

  • About
  • Home
  • Podcasts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Virtual Edition
  • Advertising

Copyright 2015 Fuel Themes. All RIGHTS RESERVED.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Administrative News
    • The Ones
    • Campus Events
    • Campus Health
    • Caucus Roundup
    • In Des Moines
    • Politics
    • Student Politics
    • Student Senate
    • Senate Elections
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Column
    • Cross-Country
    • E-Sports
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Rowing
    • Soccer
    • Softball
  • Commentary
    • Horoscope
    • Letter from the Editor
  • Features
    • Greek Life
  • Podcasts
  • Relays Edition
    • Commentary
    • Coronavirus
    • Elections
    • Features
    • In Des Moines
    • News
    • This week in photos
    • Top News
    • Top Stories
    • Uncategorized
    • Video
    • Sports
    • Security Reports
    • Relays Edition
    • Poll
    • Podcasts
    • Online Exclusives
    • Opinion

Copyright 2015 Fuel Themes. All RIGHTS RESERVED.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Bodybuilder is fighting for his life after taking dirty steroids femara uk trump's "operation warp speed" for mass vaxxing. "big bucks for big pharma" - global research