With the sport?s current iteration suffering through brand turmoil this year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is attempting to highlight football?s more august days with a new Snapchat account.

The account?ProFootballHOF, for those interested?and its rollout are being assisted with a contest offered to recent followers. The account will serve as an outlet for legacy content, which could ameliorate some of the negative perceptions that not only the NFL but the sport of football at large have accrued in recent years.

"The Pro Football Hall of Fame will emphasize exclusive content from our Hall of Famers," said George Veras, executive vice president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "Also, Snapchat followers will get looks behind the scenes into our archives. 

"The Hall displays just five percent of our collection, so this will be a great platform to take a deeper dive into our rich history," he said. "Our curatorial staff also continues to receive artifacts on a regular basis from milestone moments happening around the NFL. 

"We?ll use Snapchat to share the arrival of these mementos so that audience will be the first to see what?s new at the Hall."

The HOF?s contest is geared towards its new followers. To enter the contest, individuals 18 years and older should follow the Hall on Snapchat and then send a private snap to the ProFootballHOF account, telling the Hall which of the 303 Pro Football Hall of Famers is their favorite.

The contest begins Wednesday, December 7, and all entries must be submitted by Wednesday, December 21 at 11:59 p.m. ET to be considered for the grand prize: a Hall of Fame Membership which includes complimentary museum admission and parking for one year, in addition to other member exclusive benefits.

The account will also be an avenue to ingratiate the public with the Hall of Fame community, which extensively involves itself in the curation and maintenance of the public?s perception of professional football?s history. 

The Hall of Fame?s Snapchat account culminates its involvement in all other major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram?all of which are hosted under the same handle, ProFootballHOF.

The Hall of Fame already has plans set out for the account, initially using it as a platform for behind the scenes content, messages from Hall of Famers and contests. By focusing on the sterling side of professional football?s checkered history, the account hopes to repair some of the damage that recent research has done to the enterprise of the sport.

The NFL has been involved in a few creative social media excursions as of late. For example, Bud Light took a page out of Roald Dahl?s classic by stashing gold cans in randomly selected packs, which lucky users can post on social media for a chance to win a pair of Super Bowl tickets for the rest of their lives (see story). 

And Twitter?s bid to capitalize on streaming video may finally be panning out, but its lack of long-term viewing may prove ineffectual for advertisers (see story).

"Our mission is to honor the heroes of the game, preserve its history, promote its values and celebrate excellence everywhere," Mr. Veras said. "We celebrate the values of the game such as commitment, integrity, courage, respect and excellence as a way to inspire those who come to the museum or play the game at our new National Football & Youth Sports Complex. 

"The legacy of the game is that it remains the most popular game in America and we look forward to sharing unique content through Snapchat to the millions of fans who love this sport."