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CASE STUDIES
The Chicago Bears:
80 Years of Gridiron Legends
Case Study
The following
case study represents a project that Pat Kremer and Carolyn Jacobs
worked on during their employment at a Chicago natural history museum.
SITUATION
In 2000,
Chicago Bears management wanted to
mark the 80th anniversary of their franchise with an exhibition
commemorating the celebrated history of the team. The goal was
to attract die-hard Bears fans, familiar with their storied history, and
cultivate new fans as well. Bears management
contacted the museum to find out if the museum would be interested
in opening the first-ever official exhibition of Bears memorabilia
spanning their entire 80-year heritage. The Bears had never
put together an exhibition and needed the museum’s expertise and
assistance every step of the way.
SOLUTION
Creating an Exhibition from
Scratch: The Public Relations team surveyed the
countless pieces of priceless memorabilia and made selections based on
what would best highlight the Bears legacy and illicit an emotional
response from visitors. In order to capitalize on the mania of
the fall football season, a rare assortment of objects were unveiled on
September 1 to coincide with the opening of the home game schedule at
Soldier Field. Everything from Papa Bear Halas’ fedora to
Walter Payton’s jersey, including the Bears 1963 World Championship Trophy
and the 1985 Super Bowl Trophy, were displayed in all their
glory. A special video component presented the team’s
historical highlights including the most memorable moments in team history
– a history that had been an integral part of Chicago’s culture for 80
years.
The Opening Drive:
All current team players and coaching staff attended the
preview. It was an opportunity for the media to see the
reaction of rookie players who were learning about the historic importance
of their team for the first time. Major Chicago sports
journalists (print, TV & radio) attended the preview and reported
favorable stories about the importance of the Bears’ decision to open
their vaults and allow the museum to put together this first-ever
presentation of their history.
The Score sports radio
hosted live broadcasts at the Museum and legendary players from the ’63
and ’85 teams signed autographs for fans in the exhibition before every
home game. It was a feel-good story that kicked off the
2000 season, placing the Bears organization in a favorable light.
Paying Homage to
Sweetness: The untimely death of Walter Payton
during the run of the exhibition devastated Bears fans
everywhere. However, it provided an opportunity for the museum to celebrate his life and legacy with dignity. We
draped the exhibition with black bunting, placed a nearby table with fresh
flowers, Payton’s photo and a memory book. We encouraged
visitors to express their memories about Payton in the book, a book that
would be given to Payton’s family as a personal tribute from Bears
fans. We also made the decision to open the museum, admission
free, following the memorial service at Soldier Field to accommodate the
fans who attended the service. At the conclusion of the
Soldier Field ceremony, more than 5,000 fans entered the Museum to visit
the exhibition, sign several memory books displayed for the occasion
and pay their respects to their hero.
RESULTS
Many Bears fans discovered
the
museum for the first time through this exhibition, increasing
attendance not only before Bears games but on other days as well.
The Chicago Bears management was extremely pleased with the project’s
success as it provided much needed favorable PR. They
incorporated several historic images seen in the exhibition into the
newly renovated Soldier Field.
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