A tool once used strictly for identifying Ohio drivers while on the road has recently been transformed into an outlet for Buckeye fans to display their pride in the wake of a championship season.
OSU alumna Jill Jentes Banicki was born into the Buckeye tradition, and to her it seemed natural to show her pride by sporting an Ohio State license plate while driving down the road.
“I have to be (a Buckeye fan) in my family’s household,” said Jentes Banicki. “I have one of those legendary license plates. You can be a fanatic, but if you are an older fanatic, you can look a little odd. The license plate allows you to modestly show your scarlet and gray colors, and at the same time, contribute to the university.”
OSU Trademark and Licensing Services have seen a steady increase in licensing even before this year’s national championship season.
Approximately 12,000 to 13,000 plates are issued annually, bringing in nearly $300,000 to the university.
“You have to credit the success to awareness. The more plates that are out there, the more people will see them. Our main mission is get word out,” said Rick Van Brimmer, director of OSU Trademark and Licensing Services.
Plates with only the Block O logo cost an additional $35, and personalized messages cost $70 annually. Out of those fees, $25 goes to the general scholarship fund at the university.
“The license plates mostly target alumni and people who have moved on from the university. It’s a way to give back to future students and show pride in the university,” Van Brimmer said.
The “ride with pride and drive” marketing strategy has succeeded in making the OSU alumni logo the most frequently requested collegiate plate in Ohio, said Julie Hinds, public information officer for the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
“The requests were coming in really fast after the game. It has slowed down since, but once football season starts we predict the numbers will start picking up again,” Hinds said.
Buckeye fans did not wait long to come up with the unique combinations, such as “DBLOT,” “1ITALL” and “OSU14NO.”
“We knew we would be getting many different combinations, but most of us didn’t realize how clever some people would be with their combinations — that ‘DBLOT’ is pretty good,” Hinds said.
Because each license plate must be distinct, it can be difficult to find an available combination. Those interested in getting a personalized plate can log on to www.oplates.com to see what combinations have already been taken and to register for plates.
As of January 2003, approximately 250 additional license plates were either renewed or issued from the previous year, and according to Van Brimmer, demand for OSU products will not level off any time soon.
“A national championship really has a residual affect. Not only do you feel it immediately, but it can carry on into the next season. We will be selling national championship products well into the upcoming season, and if we are lucky, we’ll be selling them again next year,” Van Brimmer said.
