Marketing Gaffe

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62003-barkley.billboard.jpg

A billboard of USC quarterback Matt Barkley in Westwood was removed today. A USC spokesperson claimed the billboard’s purpose was not “to taunt.”
But placing a billboard in Westwood strikes me as a case of punching down. Remember when Oregon put a picture of its players on the side of a building down the street from USC?
That might be something you do when you are the little school trying to make a splash. But not when you are the big dog.
USC seems to forget that in its rush sometimes to be innovative from a marketing standpoint. USC is ranked No. 1 in the nation. It should act like it.

Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times
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  • Ex-Cop

    Because, of course, the only thing in Westwood is UCLA, and the only possible reason for the billboard being there is to taunt. I mean, it’s not like that billboard is surrounded by office buildings with hundreds and hundreds of potential ticket customers. I guess only UCLA fans work there.

    Since when did USC get so politically correct that the university worries about their (fairly obvious) intentions being misinterpreted and causing injured feelings? A billboard? How about Mora’s comments the past month or so?

    As the e-card says, “Announcing ‘I’m offended” is basically telling the world you can’t control your own emotions, so everyone else should do it for you.”

    It could be argues that the Oregon billboard was in fact a very different situation. How many Los Angeles residents will make a regular trip up to Eugene for a game? Who were they trying to sell tickets to? I would go so far as to argue that even the purpose of that billboard wasn’t to taunt USC as much as it was to capture the LA-based media’s attention. They were trying to pick off media attending USC games and get themselves into the conversation. So, obviously, mission accomplished.

    Not everything in life or football is about crushing your enemies, see them driven before you, and hearing the lamentation of their women.

  • ftfo2009

    Scott Wolf is a beat writer. He should act like it.

  • How does Scott Wolf keep his job?

    Wolf is a lazy, incompetent journalist for a fourth-rate newspaper. He should act like it.

  • NotaFanofYou

    Who gives a crap what FUCLA thinks about the billboard. SC football can advertise anywhere they want to because they exactly are the “Big Dogs”.

    You are a Beat Off. And you act like it.

  • in sheep’s clothing

    that billboard is in what city? and what city does USC reside? jesus, the billboard is placed less than 15 miles to the coliseum. there are plenty of potential customers there. the oregon comparison – really? wow.

  • oneillwatch

    I agree with Wolf. The placement of this billboard was unnecessary and beneath USC. Whoever thought placing a USC billboard in Westwood was cute ought to be sat down to be instructed in who we are. Let other schools resort to cheap stunts and taunting.

  • The Monopoly is Over Here 2.0

    Pictured in Front: Charlize Bucket, looking at her master and tormentor. Her knees trembling like a lil Bruin cub just awoken from a long hibernation after setting a CFB record of Most Losses Ever….

    Was it all just a terrible nightmare Charlize?

  • Trojanfan

    Fuck it….just have a mobile board drive up and down the front of the Bruin’s campus, that should ruffle some feathers

  • ftfo2009

    Waiting for the UCLA billboard on Expo with Mora’s face and the quote “We don’t have murders a block from our campus”.

  • Chiete76

    Another case overreacting and looking for the petty and the negative by SW.

    The Times reported this much better and more objectively (big surprise) including a quote from Tim Tessalone. The billboard is one of 30 around the southland. They were all chosen for visability from what was available. Even if there was a tiny bit of “nice to have in Westwood”, so what?!

  • BoscoH

    It would be way better to put up billboards showing Jim Mora Jr. in his short shorts. No need to even put a school name on it.

  • Son of CharIie Bucket

    once again, sugar sweeeeet super scooop from the wolfman!!!

    wolfman, of course you are right as usual, but while you are pure class, the Nabobs around here don’t know the meaning of the word!!! (hell they even bashed Junior Seau in your Memorial post yesterday)

  • bazinga

    Couldn’t we have at least gotten UCLA to agree not to post any crappy UCLA billboards near downtown in exchange for this?

  • son of charlie bucket

    wolfman, I miss standing behind you at practices and taking in the sugar sweeeet smell of the wolfman!!!!

    you are always welcome to join, as my guest, any Cadre event. UCLA vs. Rice game on the transitor @ Veterans Building. I have a styro rice bowl with your name on it if you decide to grace us with your presence.

    toast to wolfie, my bro-friend

  • son of charlie bucket

    wolfman, I miss standing behind you at practices and taking in the sugar sweeeet smell of the wolfman!!!!

    you are always welcome to join, as my guest, any Cadre event. UCLA vs. Rice game on the transitor @ Veterans Building. I have a styro rice bowl with your name on it if you decide to grace us with your presence.

    toast to wolfie, my bro-friend

  • son of charlie bucket

    wolfman, I miss standing behind you at practices and taking in the sugar sweeeet smell of the wolfman!!!!

    you are always welcome to join, as my guest, any Cadre event. UCLA vs. Rice game on the transitor @ Veterans Building. I have a styro rice bowl with your name on it if you decide to grace us with your presence.

    toast to wolfie, my bro-friend

  • son of charlie bucket

    wolfman, I miss standing behind you at practices and taking in the sugar sweeeet smell of the wolfman!!!!

    you are always welcome to join, as my guest, any Cadre event. UCLA vs. Rice game on the transitor @ Veterans Building. I have a styro rice bowl with your name on it if you decide to grace us with your presence.

    toast to wolfie, my bro-friend

  • Cinque Malcolm

    When will the Daily News can this guy? It used to be slightly amusing to witness Scott Wolf completely mail it in as the beat writer covering my alma mater and one of the top programs in the country, but now it’s at the point where it’s just insulting and embarrassing. If it isn’t lazy reporting with an obvious lack of insight or effort, it’s the constant trash talking that he doesn’t have the writing talent or sense of humor to back up. I literally have never read or heard anyone say anything remotely positive about this man. He’s whined and taken shots at uniforms (Kiffin is jealous of Oregon!!!) and coaches slang (his inner Andy Rooney came out- what’s this flashed thing all the kids are saying?), can’t seem to stop harping on the 75 scholarships as if the staff doesn’t know what they’re doing, and then tries to point the finger with this billboard issue as if he has the right to call out the administration. GTFOH.

  • ProbationU

    Hey Wolfman…a gaffe is unintentional…therefore not a gaffe by definition.

    Did kind of like the Bark-man looking to the heavens aka a mini-Tebow.

    And as a Bruin fan….who gives a $chit? The only way for redemption is on the field. Period. Enough said. No whining…no complaining…just shut the Trojan boys up by beating them. Move on to something somebody cares about.

  • Trojanfan

    Probation U wrote:

    And as a Bruin fan….who gives a $chit? The only way for redemption is on the field. Period. Enough said. No whining…no complaining…just shut the Trojan boys up by beating them. Move on to something somebody cares about.

    This guy nailed it!!!!…and bucket thought he was the only one getting nailed

  • LovetheCapper

    PU is right on. Who cares? Another negative for Scotty.

  • DiamondD

    Am a USC alum and what I just read was Scott Wolf at his most brilliant level in a long time. Being dead serious here — so tired of this “We Own LA” campaign nonsense out of nowhere. And ok fine the slogan is completely fact (beyond the athletic realms even), but a billboard in Westwood? In August?? Saint Patrick (Haden) himself signed off on this?

    This is getting absurd. Everyone needs to cool off for the next 80 hours or so and just let the season begin. Sincerely hope this team outplays its offseason hype machine. Of course will be nearly impossible to match last year’s hunger level, but how many more slogans and cliches before this season arrogantly combusts a la the 2006 Rose Bowl? At this rate, far sooner.

  • FIFTY TO NOTHING

    Sad to say I agree with DiamondD.

    The offseason hype, team seems to have forgotten the reason it was motivated ending last season, those new cleats, and of course the McKay center. This team might not show what it’s truly capable of because of lack of discipline. That or if the injury bug bites.

    We’ll see.

  • gotroy22

    I call it the Nike-ization of college sports- more smack, more hype, more poor sportsmanship leading to more shame if you can’t live up to it. Run the billboard in January after we win the BCS title, not before we have played a single game.

  • ThaiMex

    Mr. B. Kennedy is your basic sleazy SCUmbag graduate DONOR. I’ve known him for years. You RAH RAH’s deserve him. I imagine the “GOOD FOLKS” at Regency Media got a phone call from some influential UCLA Grad down at City Hall (TWO names come to mind!) “suggesting” the board be removed “OR ELSE”. There was no way Mr. Kennedy was going to be able to make this one go away by handing over a stuffed envelope.
    It’s all pretty WEAK Sh!t. SPINELESS Dirty Donor has no legs to stand on once he learns Money can’t buy everything. TYPICAL SUCks.
    Fit on Torgan!

  • Trojanfan

    FIFTY TO NOTHING said:

    “team seems to have forgotten the reason it was motivated ending last season”

    “This team might not show what it’s truly capable of because of lack of discipline”

    VERY interesting opinions…please explain yourself…I’m all ears!!!!!

  • LovetheCapper

    Thai absolutely knows mr. Kennedy. Brian eats at Taco Bell once a week and Thai always takes his order. Funny, but Money CAN buy Thai. And not much of it.

  • ProbationU

    As said earlier…who cares? Would rather see the billboard up…and I am a Bruin. Now it looks as if the Bruins complained and the board came down…and that may not even be the truth…but it does have the appearance. If we didn’t get fired up after losing 50-0, a billboard shouldn’t be necessary to fire us up.

    I have been around Trojans most of my life. Have one in the family. Talking smack and acting as if they own the football world and football is the only important thing…and the general arrogance is nothing new. It is part of Trojan-ness for a lot of them.

    The only way to shut them up (temporary at best) is to beat them. So…as said earlier…stop complaining and beat them. Grow a set…and beat SC at the Rose Bowl before we all become Cubs fans.

  • BiIl

    Typical of this classless school to do something of this caliber. Your morons won’t be so proud once you have paid. You will pay. I will make you pay idiots. I will accept check, cash, or money orders.

    Bill