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Graphic Design gives identity to the Olympics – come with us to Paris!

Credits: Olympics

Celebrate in a stylish, responsible & personal way

Inspired by the Olympics in Paris, we took a closer look at the graphic design that permeates the games. Ever since the first official posters from Stockholm in 1912, the branding of the games has increased in importance, depicting both cultural influences from the cities where they were held and stylistic influences of periods in which they took place.

Starting with the present, the visual identity of the Paris Olympic Games is based on four cornerstones: celebration, transfer, rationalisation and personalisation. Transfer stands for a sense of style and the creative French spirit, while personalisation is new to these Games, allowing the host cities and partners to have their own colours and looks.


Credits: IOC

Iconic logo –  Gold, Flame and Marianne

The Paris slogan “Games wide open” is shown visually through the iconic art nouveau posters and the logo. The logo is made up of three symbols: the gold medal, the flame, and the face “Marianne” – a symbol the French people hold dear from the French Revolution. The logo’s symbolism is achievement, energy, and the idea that the games belong to the people.

Partner in time – omega Creative collaboration

In terms of partnerships, the Olympics sees great creative collaboration between partners, utilising the graphics and symbolism associated with the Games. A notable example is Omega’s role as the official timekeeper of the Games. They produce bespoke versions of their iconic timepieces for each event, ensuring that time is managed with a touch of Olympic flair. The watch’s design is stylish and sporty, reflecting the gold symbolism of the Paris logo.

Credits: Omega, V Magazine

Graphic exposÉ – A trip down memory lane

The graphic design for the Olympic games over the years captures the era in which they were held. It’s a time exposé, starting from Stockholm in 1912. Have a look at some examples of Olympic posters that reflect the spirit of the times.

THE ANTIQUE ERA

Credits: IOC

Stockholm, in 1912, represented the parade of nations, where each athlete carried twirling flags and walked towards the common goal of the Olympic games. The nudity was a nod to the ancient games, but it was too daring for some countries. Looking back on today’s partnership with Omega, this was the first Olympic event to feature automatic timing. The 1924 Paris Olympics also featured half-naked athletes with a nod to Antiquity, making the Olympic salute. The flag represents the French Republic, and the palm leaves symbolise victory.

The 1936 Games in Berlin were the first to be broadcast on television. The design, created by Mr Würbel, features the Quadriga from the Brandenburg Gate, a prominent landmark in Berlin. In the background, a garlanded victor is depicted, his arm raised in the Olympic salute, symbolising the Olympic Games.

WORK WITH GRAPHICS

Credits: IOC

The Tokyo Games in 1964 were the first to be held in Asia. Renowned Japanese graphic designer Yusaku Kamekura created the emblem for the Games. It used the red circle of the Japanese flag, representing the sun. Underneath the red circle were the Olympic rings and the words “Tokyo 1964” in gold letters. The posters were made by photoengraving using several colours, highlighting the technology of the Japanese printing industry.

The Mexico City 1968 Games emblem was created by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and reflected the fashion of the time: hippy psychedelia. It combines the five Olympic rings and the year, and the design recalls the patterns of the Huichol, an indigenous people of Mexico.

The Moscow 1980 poster featured the official emblem created by Vladimir Arsentyev. The Olympic rings are positioned below a section of running tracks, which rise into an architectural silhouette typical of Moscow. A five-pointed star is also included, serving as a reminder of the Kremlin flag.

A VARIETY OF DESIGNERS

Credits: IOC

The 1984 Los Angeles Games had a distinct West Coast style, featuring ”intuitive” colours and an exuberant, typically Pacific freshness. This was in line with the spirit of 1980s festivals. The star is a universal symbol of mankind’s highest aspirations; the horizontal bars portray speed, while the repetition of the star shape signifies the spirit of competition between equally outstanding physical forms. Sixteen renowned artists designed 15 posters for the LA Games.

At the Sydney 2000 event, several poster designers from diverse creative and cultural backgrounds were invited to contribute their work to showcase a range of styles and techniques. A total of 50 posters were published. The emblem features the image of an athlete, incorporating traditional Australian shapes and colours. The boomerangs and suggestions of sun and rocks, together with the colours of the harbour, beaches and red interior, evoke the distinctive Australian landscape and its indigenous population.

The poster, created by artist Rachel Whiteread and titled ”London 2012,” features circles in the Olympic colours stacked on top of one another. The design clearly references the five rings that make up the Olympic symbol. The circles, which appear as marks made by bottles or glasses left on a table, symbolise the memory of a social meeting. The Organising Committee collaborated with Tate and the Plus Tate Group to showcase artistic excellence in selecting artists to create the official posters of London 2012. Six artists were selected to design a poster.

The information about the Olympic graphic design and branding comes from Olympic Games where you also find a lot more information about the games.

Castellum wins Glaspriset 2024 for Sjustjärnan

Congratulation to Castellum for winning Glaspriset for the project Sjustjärnan in Malmö. ⭐️

Glaspriset and Glaspärlan are instituted to recognise projects where the use of glass has contributed to the fulfilment of architectural, functional, innovative, and sustainable qualities. It can be anything from an entire office building in glass to a technically advanced glass detail using the criteria of architecture, function, innovation, and sustainability.

Architecture with an impressive ambition

Castellum’s vision was clear from the beginning: to create a sustainable and energy-efficient project that inspires sustainable solutions. E.ON has gathered all employees in Sjustjärnan which is one of Castellum’s biggest projects ever and a starting point for a completely new district, Nyhamnen in Malmö. The overall ambition has been to promote team spirit, cooperation, and health for the staff by offering daylight-lit, airy, and beautiful office premises. A significant and early choice was the double-shell facade with visible wood. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it also keeps the temperature comfortable indoors, especially when the sun is shining brightly. This means less need for heating on cold days and creates bright, pleasant indoor environments. E.ON’s new head office is characterised by both social sustainability and architectural qualities, as well as comfort.

Marketing & communication package for Sjustjärnan

Adentity had the opportunity to work with Castellum’s project team on the development of a marketing and communication package for Sjustjärnan, including a 7stjärnan logotype, drone film, posters, and branded kick-off material that created engagement for the building teams.

 

In line with Castellum’s vision, the logo was a sculptural-style outline of the building, embracing modern architecture while keeping people and sustainability at the centre. Through a bird’s-eye view from a drone, we successfully visualised not only Castellum’s building projects but also how Nyhamnen is developing and how Malmö will look in the future. And through the “Coffee Break” concept, we created mini-expos that created attention and informed about the exciting projects that set a new benchmark for developing urban environments.

The logotype, taglines, giveaways, and events all aided in building excitement, engagement, and commitment from all participants collaborating on the project. It added to creating team spirit through branded communication.

Read more about the Social event, Logotype and Drone film