Norman Lear Day at Emerson College - VDA | Experiential Marketing & Event Design Agency Boston

The “All in the Family” stage set

In October 2018, Emerson College unveiled a life-size statue in honor of Norman Lear for his never-ending contribution to film and television. Also, the city of Boston declared October 4 as “Norman Lear Day” to celebrate the father of hit sitcoms.

VDA joined forces with AE Events to create an experience that the honoree and attendees will never forget. VDA’s task was to recreate the centerpiece of the event: the “All in the Family” stage set.

How do you take people and their minds back in time? With detail. Our designers spent hours studying vintage photographs and videotapes of the iconic TV show, “All in the Family”, to ensure no element went unnoticed. Every furniture piece, wood trim, and even molding was carefully examined with the goal to replicate the perfect scenery.

We searched across the country for Archie’s chair, handcrafted the 70’s wallpaper, and even made sure the label on his beer can was perfectly placed. We didn’t just build a stage set, but rather an immersive experience – a time machine that allowed attendees to take a leap into the past.

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Interested in learning more about this stage set or what went behind the scenes? Read our dedicated blog post here.