London 2012 Olympics Case Study

Ambition

London’s bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was like no other. It promised to inspire the youth of the world. To engage, involve and enthuse – to change lives. It promised to put the Olympic and Paralympic Games at the heart of contemporary life. To achieve this, London’s Organizing Committee needed a powerful brand, one that could inspire and engage with a global audience of four billion people. A brand that could make the Olympic and Paralympic Games more relevant, accessible and inspiring than ever.

Action

We worked with London’s Organizing Committee to define a clear ambition for London 2012. These Games were to be everyone’s. They would call on people to challenge themselves – to try new things, to go further, to discover new abilities. The brand we created supports this ambition. The emblem is 2012, an instantly recognizable symbol and a universal form – one already closely associated with the Games in London. It is unconventionally bold, deliberately spirited and unexpectedly dissonant, echoing London’s qualities of a modern, edgy city. Containing neither sporting images nor pictures of London landmarks, the emblem shows that the Games are more than London, more than sport. The Games are for everyone, regardless of age, culture and language. The emblem is designed to be populated, to contain infills and images, so it is recognizable enough for everyone to feel and be part of London 2012.

Impact

The ambition – everyone’s – is already shaping London 2012 and building partnerships. For the first time ever, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will share the same brand, using their own variant of the emblem. And in another first, the Cultural Olympiad will be able to share the brand. With the addition of the commercial partners, this will be the most cohesive Olympic brand in history. New technology is being put in place to get everyone closer to the action and more deeply involved. Digital media will be used to create a Games in which everyone can play a part wherever they are. The brand we created will shape the experience of 2012. It will take the Games beyond sport, creating wider interest and even greater inspiration. It will create a Games for everyone.