Question of "M-Dot" Logo

Triathlon Forum
1

So what is the opinion (not legal) use of the “M-dot” on cars, ink, etc.

Should someone that has finished a half-iron Ironman sponsored event use this logo? Is that logo a different color? Not red and blue. What about other half-iron distances? Should they just put a 70.3 sticker on their rig?

What about those that have completed an iron distance but not an Ironman sponsored event? Maybe they couldn’t afford an Ironman but did something more local or better but still full iron distance.

Just wondering while on drive to work this morning and saw the “M-dot” on the back of someone’s car.

2

What’s I-dot M? Is it yet another kind of Ironman sticker or is it your way of saying M-dot?

3

I’ve been led to believe, via adverts & such, that the 70.3 M-dot stickers are orange, while the full, 140.6 stickers are red. Of course, I could be wrong. I think it happened once, but, conveniently, none of the witnesses want to discuss it.

4

What’s I-dot M? Is it yet another kind of Ironman sticker or is it your way of saying M-dot?
M-dot, I-dot M. Yeah same thing. Had a brain fart there. Sorry.

5

The only thing that matters is what it means to you. MDot means different things to different people. Its just a symbol of the lifestyle.

Is everyone who wears NFL logo a former Pro football player?

6

Is everyone who wears NFL logo a former Pro football player?

Of course not. Anyone can wear an nfl logo, anyone. All you have to do is walk into a store and buy a shirt. Anyone can do it.

Which seems incredibly ironic.

7

My $0.02

Anyone can wear an ironman logo. Maybe you watched the race and got a t-shirt. I have an ironman watch and haven’t done a 140.6. You think every yellow jersey wearing Fred has won the TdF? Buying an ironman finisher shirt on ebay that you didn’t earn is lame.

For cars, use a sticker that calls out the 70.3, unless you’ve done a 140.6.

For ink: No ink unless you have done a 140.6; the race doesn’t matter (ex. Vineman counts).

8

Hippies. They’re everywhere. They wanna save the earth, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad.

  • Eric Cartman

    … And they used signs not so different from Mdot :wink:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v694/lucytartan/blogpics/Tommy/IMG_0100.jpg

9

correct me if I wrong but doesn’t the 70.3 logo have 70.3 in it?

10

yes, the 70.3 m-dot has a big old red 70.3 on it. i have one on my car and after august 30th, i hope to have the 140.6 one too!

11

What if you did a HIM that then became a 70.3 a year or two after you did it?

Could you wear the 70.3 logo?

jaretj

12

I was just curious on what people’s or finisher’s opinions are on this. I have not done a full iron distance but have done a half-iron distance but not an Ironman sponsored event. I did it for me. I hope to start-inish a full iron some day. I am a newb to this pain.

It seems that Ironman does market itself well with merchandise from Timex watches (which I use) to wetsuits and sunglasses, etc. I see that completely different than those that use the logo for recognition of the event or completion of the event.

I have been a lurker on the forums for some time and there seems to be many different opinions on the logo and it’s use and IM sponosored events.

As for me, I have not put anything on my car even though the half-iron distance event did have a nice sticker for the car. Would I put something on it if/when I finish a full iron - maybe. I would just have to wait and see then.

I was just looking for an interesting discussion piece. Lets keep it rolling.

thanks

13

Should someone that has finished a half-iron Ironman sponsored event use this logo? Is that logo a different color? Not red and blue. What about other half-iron distances? Should they just put a 70.3 sticker on their rig?

Years ago, finishing an Ironman was something of significance - and it still is. However back 15 - 20 years there were not that many people who had actually done one, but then the number of races started to grow and more people started finishing the races. To the point that I seem to recall Outside Magazine about 15 years ago writing in an article that it had taken Ironman off of it’s list of significant endurance events. And it’s just grown from there.

Over the years the WTC has worked had at extending the Ironman brand beyond the race itself and now they are even extending that brand name to events that are shorter than the traditional Ironman length of race - to the 1/2 Ironman or what they call the 70.3 event.** **I suspect that this trend will continue with the new ownership structure as it’s one way of generating more revenue, and I am sure that we will be seeing the famous M-dot logo more and more.

14

Steve,

I’m sure you’re right about more and more…however it will be interesting to see how they logo the shorter races.

I am pretty good with almost anybody using the M-Dot logo – it creates more brand excietement - but I have to say it irks me to see a mother buying her daughter a finisher’s shirt at the expo after a race like last year. I definitely think those need to be reserved for finishers who put in the effort.

P.

15

If I go to an Atlanta Braves game, and see everybody wearing the logo gear, I do not immediately think that they play for the Braves or once played for the Braves.

When I go to a group swim, group ride, or race, and somebody has the IM logo on their car, I do assume that they have gone the distance in an IM branded race.

If they have a 70.3 sticker on the car, then I assume they did a 70.3 branded race.

If they did a non-branded IM or 70.3 race, then they can display the logo of the race, but shouldn’t pretend they did an IM branded race because they didn’t.

In the end we all wear logo gear in order to be recognized as one of the group, in order to show our pride, based on our ego, to remind us of an accomplishment, or in support of somebody else.

If I saw somebody with an IM sticker on their car show up to a group swim, then I might ask them if they did IM, or which one. If they said they didn’t do one, but their spouse did, then OK. Or if they were training for one and wanted inspiration, then OK. If they said they didn’t do races at all, but thought the logo was cool, then OK. In the end, the logo means something very personal to the person with the logo, and 99% of the rest of the world could care less about what logos you wear or promote.

FWIW, I have IM logos on my car and my wife’s truck. Those logos mean a lot to me because I put a lot into those events. But if I ever stopped doing IM races, then the logos would loose some of their luster to me, and I’d probably take them off. The same has happened before as I’ve moved from one city to the next. Keeping that old NFL town logo wasn’t really important to me in the new city. Wearing that shirt with the logo from my last job isn’t important anymore. The only logo I wear and have on my car that will never leave me is the cross which signifies my faith, and that will never change. I can’t say the same for the other logos, however.

In the end, logos are very personal. You can make assumptions based on the context of where the logo is placed or where you see it. But it doesn’t really matter what others think of the logo as long as it means something to you.

16

I am pretty good with almost anybody using the M-Dot logo – it creates more brand excietement.

Agreed, but at some point it goes completely overboard - I can’t tell you how many people in third world and developing countries I saw wearing, T shirts with, “Chicago Cubs”, or some other north American pro sports team emblazoned on the front. They likely had no idea what the Chicago Cubs are. The Third World and Developing countries are where all the unsold sports memorabilia-wear ends up after it’s not sold at all the discount places like TJ-Maxx and the like.

17

Steve, that is exactly why I have a store room full of old Triathlon T shirts. They are like white elephants, if I give them to Goodwill we will suddenly see homeless guys wandering around Naples wearing Ironman shirts. :wink:

Support Crew

18

if I give them to Goodwill we will suddenly see homeless guys wandering around Naples wearing Ironman shirts. :wink:

Sue,

. . . on the back of some guy wandering around a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. I have come to the conclusion that there is a massive surplus of this sort of stuff

19

LOL. Yeah, that would be a pretty good clue.