LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – After capturing the imagination of residents across Acadiana, Albineaux "Al" Boudreaux enters the next phase of his campaign to be adopted as the new mascot for the Ragin Cajuns.

"In phase 2, I really wanted to focus of Al's personality and potential. Mascots are more than just an image. They're supposed to entertain fans, they're supposed to keep the fan base engaged with the university as well as being an ambassador to the university," says the creator of AI, Cory St. Ewart.

Phase 2 was also about embracing the potential the character has to be marketable across Acadiana though advertising and merchandise.

"Albino creatures are beautiful, but when they're born in their natural habitat, their white skin makes them stick out like a sore thumb, hard to survive in the place they're born in. I love the connection between albino creatures needing to be moved similar to how the Cajun people needed to move out of their natural habitat and settle here in south Louisiana," says St. Ewart.

St. Ewart even took the time to flesh out ideas on potential skits and gameday entertainment for al to bring the character to life. "It's better to have a character that likes to eat rather than to be eaten. Because everyone in south Louisiana likes to eat. So, the amount of skit potential when it came to an alligator that's trying to make a gumbo out of the opposing team's mascot was hilarious to me," says St. Ewart.

With an even larger audience now supporting Albineaux, St. Ewart says he hopes the finally get in touch with the university as they continue to evolve their marketing and athletic programs to make Al the new face of UL.

"The reception has been incredibly rewarding. Not just for the character. People here in Acadiana appreciate the character, but what they appreciate more is someone doing this solely for passion. If you're a fan of the Ragin Cajuns, the thing you want most is to be a part of the Ragin Cajuns for the next 125 years, and I certainly want to contribute any way that I can. This is my way of doing that."

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