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University Marketing commissioned a professional athletic mascot company to design the new and improved Willie the Wave, who was re-introduced Saturday, Oct. 21 at Midnight Entourage.
“We welcome Willie back to Pepperdine athletics and Pepperdine University and are looking forward to him making appearances at our games and fulfilling the role of returning spirit to campus and to our sport games,” Associate Director of Athletics for External and Media Relations Gary Moy said.
A top quality mascot comes at no small price –– more than $6,000. Pepperdine went to the top in the search for a lasting mascot design by approaching Street Characters, known as the world’s pre-eminent mascot creator. The Canadian company designs mascots for top professional and collegiate athletic teams, including the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. Typical mascots range in price from $6,000 to $8,000 dollars, according to Street Characters Director of Marketing Aubrey Fishman.
Reaction on campus to Willie has been mixed.
“I think they did a good job,” said Riptide President junior Kristi Koon. “It’s hard to have water … be your mascot … a wave is kind of wimpy.”
Others found Willie to be goofy looking.
“I thought he looked like a Kool-Aid man,” freshman Gretta Miersma said. “I don’t really like Kool-Aid, so I wasn’t overly impressed. But I still think it’s really cool that we have a mascot.”
Street Characters builds light-weight mascot costumes that let the performer move easily and stay comfortable with cooling vests. University Marketing, Public Relations and Athletics worked together with Street Characters beginning in August to design a new mascot in time for Midnight Entourage. After three drafts of drawings, the committee sought the input of Riptide, athletes, staff members, coaches and members of student activities by presenting them with the three Wille design finalists.
Although Willie has been absent from campus for the past 10 years, the affable mascot has been part of Pepperdine culture since the 1960s. Many students may be unaware that Pepperdine’s nickname, the Waves, is coincidental with its location in Malibu. The university has been known as the Waves since the founding of George Pepperdine College in 1937 in Los Angeles. However, the original Willie did not flaunt the familiar Southern California style of Willie’s most recent prototype.
“I think it’s terrific for the university [to return] to an old tradition,” said Director of University Marketing Stuart Hardman. “The new look in Willie the Wave is much connected to the Malibu presence and the fact that we’re by the ocean.”
Many hope that Willie will be the essential ingredient in boosting Pepperdine’s name to the same level of prestige worldwide that Pepperdine athletes already achieve on the scoreboard.
“We need to make our mark because we’re a Division I school,” said Koon. “We don’t have an association with our school. It’s sloppy.”
Administrators echo Koon’s recognition that a mascot is fundamental for every notable athletic team.
“The tradition in college athletics is having a mascot,” Hardman said. “Great sport programs all have an icon attached to them in the form of a mascot.”
Many are also looking to Willie to increase school spirit on Pepperdine’s campus.
“[A mascot] is part of building spirit. It’s part of having some element of entertainment and fun,” Hardman said. He hopes Willie will rouse the same school spirit at sport games as other iconic mascots. Riptide shares this goal.
“By the time we were ready to present [Willie] to President [Andrew K. Benton], we had a number of key individuals on faculty and on the student side who had … given us a good sense of confidence that were going in the right direction,” Hardman said.
Pepperdine is currently seeking a student between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 11 inches to perform as Willie the Wave at athletic, community, recruitment and alumni events.
“He or should would need to love sports … have an outgoing personality … and be willing to bring the spirit of the character into the field and represent Pepperdine athletics well,” Moy said.
Information on upcoming mascot auditions will be released this week. Hardman hopes to make the position of mascot highly desired on campus.
Given that responsibilities as mascot are similar to those of a part-time job, some undetermined form of compensation will be given to the mascot.
Submitted 10-26-2006
MALIBU, CA
