How the Chicago Bears Got Closer to Fans With These Brilliant Murals From Local Artists

Timed to the new football season, the city of Chicago just got four fantastic street-art murals celebrating the Bears—part of an official campaign from the NFL club, but one that seeks a closer and more engaging relationship with the community than traditional out-of-home advertising does.

The Bears partnered with Match Marketing Group and art coalition Chicago Truborn to choose artists to create four murals in four different neighborhoods around the city. The mural above appears at 2610 N. Halsted St., near Wrightwood Avenue, and was created by Sick Fisher.

The others are located at:

2202 W. Lawrence Ave., between Western and Damen
Artist: Amuse 126

1457 N. Halsted St., between Division and North
Artist: JC Rivera

2113 S. State St., near Cermak Road
Artist: Don’t Fret

Fernando Arriola, vp of fan and brand development for the Bears, tells AdFreak that the campaign is all about the Bears connecting with, reciprocating with and beautifying the city of Chicago.

“The idea for the murals bubbled up as a way to have a more inviting and involving street presence than traditional billboards and bus shelters,” he said. “We want to underscore the Bears being part of the community and the community being part of the Bears. The more engaging, the better.”

Creatively, the artists were given lots of freedom. They had “broad latitude to express the passion of the Chicago Bears and the city of Chicago,” Arriola said.

Match MG and Chicago Truborn selected the locations. They wanted blank walls that had strong visibility, spread out in various parts of the city, and that were right in the middle of neighborhoods—so the local residents could engage with them directly.

“Rather than take a photo of the mural, they can take a photo of themselves within the mural,” Arriola explained.

The reaction, he added, has been positive—a fresh way to go beyond billboards and bus shelters.

“Traditional advertising is developed with the priority of driving the same communication to each consumer exposed,” Arriola said. “These murals instead are a reflection of the community developed by local artists, each expressing the passion of Chicago Bears football that the people of Chicago can enjoy in ways to unique each individual.”

Tim Nudd

@nudd

Tim Nudd is a former creative editor of Adweek.