WHAT GOES INTO AN OLYMPIC LOGO?
20.08.08
Every 4 years the Olympic logo becomes not only one of the most widely recognised logos in the world but also the most priceless intangible asset of the host city and organising committees in terms of image application and market development.
The logo for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, officially named 'Chinese Seal-Dancing Beijing' came about via a competition. It is considered to be a perfect combination of Chinese culture and the Olympic spirit.
Initially 1985 valid entries were received with approx 89% of the designs being submitted within China itself. From here the entries were wittled down to 10 'winners'.
From here these winners were then examined by a number of experts and also the general public in order to ensure a fair and valid selection process whilst also enhancing the transparency of the preparatory work for the Olympic Games.
The winner of the competition is not clear. Some sources state that it was a Professor Chang Wu who was honoured with carrying the Olympic torch. Other sources state that it was Chinese graphic designer Guo Chunning.
Unsurprisingly the final logo, other then the required elements (the Olympic rings, the name of the host, and the year of the event) is predominantly red. In China red is considered an auspicous colour and represents luck and happiness and can be found in all aspects of Chinese culture.
The Chinese character "Jing" (meaning Capital) on the seal was artistically modified and resembles a human figure who is running, dancing, chanting and embracing triumph.
Feeback from the Chinese public and around the world has been very positive and as such this logo has been hugely successful and undoubtedly memorable.
