Marketing Report London 2012 - International Olympic Committee

Chapter Seven / THE OLYMPIC BRAND 137
ÒThis is a truly innovative brand logo that graphically captures
the essence of the London 2012 Olympic Games Ð namely to
inspire young people around the world through sport and the
Olympic values.Ó
Jacques Rogge, IOC President
The London 2012 Brand
One of the key tasks for any Organising Committee is creating a unique visual identity for the Games,
which reflects the culture of the host city and distinguishes the Games from previous editions. From
the palette of colours to the design of the Olympic medals, the brand forms an integral part of the
Games and is seen by billions of people around the world.
For the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Organising Committee created a modern, flexible brand
to reflect the dynamism and youthful exuberance of the British capital. The official emblem of the
Games, which was unveiled in 2007, formed the heart of the London 2012 brand identity and was
based on the number 2012 – the year of the Games. The flexibility of the emblem allowed it to be
adapted to feature a number of different colour schemes, including those of the official partners and
the flags of each competing nation at the Games.
The emblem also formed the basis of the most cohesive Games brand in history, which was applied
to well over 250,000 individual items, from the tickets and the buttons on the 70,000 Games Maker
uniforms, to the design of the medals, street dressing and even gardening guides for local authorities.
This innovative use of the brand across all aspects and assets of the Games proved to be one of the
key successes of London 2012 and enabled LOCOG to engage the entire host nation, realising its
vision to bring the Games to everyone’s doorstep.
By using interesting shapes and angles, as well as vibrant colours, the instantly-recognisable
London 2012 brand created a sense of energy during the Games, with bright pinks, oranges,
greens and blues visible throughout the host city.
The modern brand was also designed to appeal particularly to young people – an aim that was also
reflected in the official motto for the Games, ‘Inspire a Generation’, which recalled a promise made by
the Organising Committee when London won the bid for the Games.