Rawlings

Putting the Ball in Baseball

Rawlings has been synonymous with baseball for nearly 140 years. The brand is present in every Major League Baseball game, providing the official ball and outfitting generations of players with gloves and bats that have become icons in their own right.

Despite its storied history and continued relevance to the game, Rawlings had never fully tapped into its heritage as a strategic asset. In 2023, as the company prepared to open a new headquarters and destination retail space the following year in St. Louis, Missouri, it recognized an opportunity to change that. Rawlings sought to create a heritage installation that would resonate with a wide spectrum of visitors—lifelong fans, elite athletes, youth players and their families—without slowing down the energy of the retail experience.

The company turned to History Factory to create a branded heritage wall that could serve as an emotional anchor and a driver of in-store engagement. This project provided a unique opportunity for History Factory. Our team needed to deliver something on-brand and impactful in six weeks—just in time for a grand opening at the beginning of the season.

Leveraging History To Drive Commerce

From the start, History Factory recognized that this wasn’t a traditional museum project. This was a retail environment with specific buyer motives—gloves to sell, gear to promote and a tight space for storytelling. The installation had to balance authenticity with commerce, creating a sense of awe without being mistaken for a product display.

Drawing on our proven approach to environmental branding, our team developed a concept called “Finest in the Field.” It treated Rawlings as more than a product manufacturer. Instead, it positioned Rawlings as a central player in baseball’s most defining moments. The storytelling framework was organized around four thematic zones:

• The Home Team honored Rawlings’ St. Louis roots and connections to early baseball clubs such as the Cardinals and the Browns.
  
• The Gear spotlighted product innovations, including the Doak glove, Trap-Eze design and today’s Rev1X and custom bats.
  
• The Pros celebrated the elite athletes who have used Rawlings equipment during history-making plays in MLB, NCAA and softball.
  
• The Partners showcased Rawlings’ integral roles across the sport, including official partnerships with MLB and collegiate programs.

How do you distill almost 140 years of history into a single wall in just a few months? Due to space and time constraints, we focused on delivering an installation that prioritized visual impact, emotional resonance and modular storytelling. Our team leveraged a combination of printed elements and display cases to deliver Rawlings’ story.

Key features included:

• A mural of life-size baseball legends—carefully curated to avoid current players, whose team affiliations change frequently. This visual feature provided a strong draw across the store, inviting customers to explore further.
  
• Artifact displays including gloves, bats and memorabilia. Items were curated to tell stories of innovation and excellence as springboards to present-day products available in the store.

Our team ensured the final product delivered a polished, immersive experience that elevated Rawlings’ brand heritage while aligning with its contemporary aesthetic.

Open for Business

The flagship store opened on time on April 12, 2024, and immediately exceeded expectations. Although built outside of the city center, it quickly became a destination for fans, athletes and families. The heritage wall attracted foot traffic and reinforced Rawlings’ reputation as the standard in baseball equipment.

Since the store’s opening, Rawlings’ marketing team reported strong engagement and visitor interest. The visual storytelling helped connect new customers with the brand’s legacy while reinforcing pride among longtime fans and staff. The installation remains a standout element of the new headquarters experience, supporting Rawlings’ vision of creating a retail space that celebrates the game.

The Rawlings brand heritage wall illustrates how the past, when presented strategically, can build credibility, drive customer connection and support sales.

By focusing on its unique role in baseball history, making that story feel accessible, relevant and inspiring, Rawlings connected its legacy to its future—one glove at a time.

Interested in showcasing what makes your organization unique? Talk with us.