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Quietly, the Chicago Bears have made a design tweak that now downplays one of the NFL’s most iconic logos.
The Bears’ newly updated brand guidelines now designate the bear head logo — which had been a co-primary mark — as the team’s single, primary mark and “the primary visual identifier of the Chicago Bears.”
As a result, the legendary capital C (a.k.a., “wishbone C”) that has resided on the team’s helmets since 1962 has been downgraded to secondary mark status.
That C will still be on the team’s helmets, as well as in the middle of Soldier Field. But the elevation of the bear head is designed primarily to aid team and league business partners, as that logo will also now be featured more in various game broadcasts and highlight shows.
“The bear head has been a co-primary mark for many years,” the Bears said. “It is unique to the Chicago Bears brand. This minor change simply provides clarity for retail, media, and other team and league partners to start the creative process with the bear head.”
Stadium Update
The shift arrives as the team remains on an extensive search to find a site for a new domed stadium and mixed-use complex. That search has involved at least a half-dozen municipalities in the Chicagoland area, with more likely to surface.
Most recently, three suburban school districts have inserted themselves into an ongoing tax battle between Arlington Heights, Illinois, and the Bears, with a new website that seeks to provide information on the dispute and its impact on the schools. The districts, however, said they are not seeking to “offer or sway opinions,” but want the team to move there “under terms fair to all.”
The logo change isn’t tied to these developments, the team said.
