Here's Blue III, successor to Blue II, skating across campus.
Image courtesy Butler University
Click here to view this gallery.
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These are heady times for the basketball Bulldogs of Butler University. The team has reached college basketball's storied Final Four in two of the past three years, recently scored a monumental upset win over in-state powerhouse Indiana University and this season joined a new, more high-profile sports conference in the Atlantic 10.
But all that is just barely enough to overshadow the burgeoning reputation of Blue II, the school's adorable English Bulldog mascot who just launched a national tour and is steadily building a social media empire along the way.
[More from Mashable: This Brutal College Football Hit May Be the Best Tackle Ever]
Along with their human assistants, Blue II and his eventual successor Blue III have been barnstorming the country in a van bearing their wrinkly likenesses, hitting major markets to further boost Butler's basketball profile through slobbery cuteness and social media savvy.
On Twitter, Blue II shares photos, updates and interacts with his 11,000 followers. He's also got his own blog and posts filtered photos to Instagram and video updates to YouTube. Oh, and he's on Pinterest, Foursquare and Facebook, too, and shares live video via Ustream.
"He was already so popular on campus, but thanks to social media and traveling around, that's automatically raised his status and put him on another scale," says Butler's director of web marketing Michael Kaltenmark, who doubles as Blue II's owner, chauffeur and ghost-tweeter.
So far, Blues II and III have hit Louisville and Nashville in conjunction with basketball team road trips. Next up are swings through Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Columbus, Pittsburgh, D.C. and New York City. Along the way they meet and greet fans and dog lovers, while making sure to hit the major tourist attractions.
But how do Blue II and Blue III feel about the grind of a traveling celebrity?
"The dogs love it," Kaltenmark says. "I think they just enjoy getting out of the office."
For more of Blues II and III, check out the photo gallery embedded above.
Image courtesy Butler University
Click here to view this gallery.
[More from Mashable: Viral Nike Ad Speaks to Hockey Fans’ Angst as NHL Lockout Drags on]
These are heady times for the basketball Bulldogs of Butler University. The team has reached college basketball's storied Final Four in two of the past three years, recently scored a monumental upset win over in-state powerhouse Indiana University and this season joined a new, more high-profile sports conference in the Atlantic 10.
But all that is just barely enough to overshadow the burgeoning reputation of Blue II, the school's adorable English Bulldog mascot who just launched a national tour and is steadily building a social media empire along the way.
[More from Mashable: This Brutal College Football Hit May Be the Best Tackle Ever]
Along with their human assistants, Blue II and his eventual successor Blue III have been barnstorming the country in a van bearing their wrinkly likenesses, hitting major markets to further boost Butler's basketball profile through slobbery cuteness and social media savvy.
On Twitter, Blue II shares photos, updates and interacts with his 11,000 followers. He's also got his own blog and posts filtered photos to Instagram and video updates to YouTube. Oh, and he's on Pinterest, Foursquare and Facebook, too, and shares live video via Ustream.
"He was already so popular on campus, but thanks to social media and traveling around, that's automatically raised his status and put him on another scale," says Butler's director of web marketing Michael Kaltenmark, who doubles as Blue II's owner, chauffeur and ghost-tweeter.
So far, Blues II and III have hit Louisville and Nashville in conjunction with basketball team road trips. Next up are swings through Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Columbus, Pittsburgh, D.C. and New York City. Along the way they meet and greet fans and dog lovers, while making sure to hit the major tourist attractions.
But how do Blue II and Blue III feel about the grind of a traveling celebrity?
"The dogs love it," Kaltenmark says. "I think they just enjoy getting out of the office."
For more of Blues II and III, check out the photo gallery embedded above.
Meet the Adorable Bulldogs That Rule College Sports Social Media
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Meet the Adorable Bulldogs That Rule College Sports Social Media
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Meet the Adorable Bulldogs That Rule College Sports Social Media
