Beers, Bears & Branding with Goose Island Brewery

When Goose Island Brewery was looking to promote their new lineup of Bear Hug Beer, an experiential marketing concept was born and Bridgewater Studio was “tapped” to make it happen. The mission: Create a larger-than-life “beer hug” photo op for brewery patrons—with a lifelike bear sculpture standing 7.5 feet tall.

Creating a realistic, life-size bear posed a few challenges. First and foremost, taxidermy was out. This needed to have all the wow factor of a real critter, but also needed to be 100% cruelty-free. Second, it needed to be light enough to transport to multiple locations.

For the final solution, we constructed a metal frame and used a combination of 7-axis robotic carving and Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing to achieve a sturdy form with highly accurate details. The sculpture was finished with a durable hard coat, faux fur, and a stylish pair of sunglasses.

Now, who needs a hug?