Bucking Critics, U. of Wyoming OKs Controversial ‘Cowboys’ Slogan

The University of Wyoming’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Thursday to approve a marketing campaign that had drawn objections from some faculty members, in part because of its slogan, “The world needs more cowboys.”

The university also released some campaign materials, including a promotional video:

The campaign prompted criticism from some faculty members, who said it excluded women and others who may not identify with the popular image of a white, macho cowboy. Some Native Americans on the campus also protested the slogan, saying that “cowboys” holds a negative historical connotation for them.

The university has said that the campaign, which was created by Victors and Spoils, a company in Boulder, Colo., seeks to redefine the image of the cowboy. Campaign materials prominently feature women and minorities, and an accompanying flier calls the slogan “inclusive, by design,” and says the campaign “redefines what it means to be a cowboy in the 21st century.” Historical figures such as Galileo, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Martin Luther King Jr., it says, were cowboys.

Contingent on approval by the Board of Trustees, the campaign was scheduled to begin this fall, but Chad Baldwin, associate vice president for marketing and communications, said the positive response to the slogan had led the university to release some materials early.

“Drawing upon Wyoming’s proud heritage, this campaign redefines what it means to be a Cowboy in this day and age, distilling it down to the inner spirit of curiosity and boldness that all who call themselves Cowboys and Cowgirls can identify with,” said the university’s president, Laurie Nichols, in a written statement.