NU launches new marketing campaign

Northwestern is at it again. Back in April, when the Cats decided to play Illinois at Wrigley, I said that their motivation wasn't that they wanted to play a competitive game in a historic stadium. I said that it was that they were trying to establish themselves as Chicago's favorite college football team, which most people currently consider the Illini or Notre Dame.

Well, NU has made it official. "We want to remind sports fans that incredible Big Ten action is taking place in their backyard," Athletic Director Jim Phillips said. That is why they are launching a new ad campaign starting this week, which will feature ads in local newspapers and on local radio stations. The ad campaign is summed up in one, simple slogan: "Chicago's Big Ten Team." My reaction? Pathetic.

We all know Northwestern is far from Chicago's team. The campaign is obviously a direct slam at Illinois, who fills the United Center every year for a basketball game. However, the U of I isn't the only Big Ten team with more fans in Chicago than Northwestern. I would be willing to say that Iowa does, too. Probably even Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan have more fans than the Cats.

I can't believe that NU is even trying this campaign. At NU football games, visiting fans often outnumber Northwestern fans. The only reason the NU athletics department is limiting the availability of tickets to the NU-Illini game at Wrigley is because they're afraid that they will be outnumbered in fans, because they know the place would go orange. So if they know they have to put so much effort into making sure that those tickets go only to NU fans for a game that is being played in Chicago, how is Chicago their city? If NU was already "Chicago's Big Ten Team," as it says it is, they wouldn't have to market it. The only reason they market it is because they want it to be that way.

So, say it with me, Chicago. Go out onto your porch this fall and yell it for all of your neighbors to hear:

GO IRISH
GO ILLINI