L.A. (or should we say L🅰️) introduces its Olympics logo — and it has tons of variations
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Despite the 2020 Olympics having to move to 2021 thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Los Angeles isn’t letting that stop its letting the world know about its logo for the games that will follow 7 years later.
Los Angeles’s committee, which is slated to host the games in 2028, released a new “interactive” logo.
At its core, the logo features the letter “L” as the first letter for the common nickname “LA” plus “28” for the year in a bold, wide font with the Olympic rings or Paralympics logo below.
The “A,” meanwhile, can change constantly (and it does in many digital applications where animation is used to keep it constantly showing a new iteration of it.
Designs were submitted by athletes, artists and celebrities and inspired by the rich cultural heritage of the city and the participants from around the word.
We are a community of inspired individuals and fearless dreamers. It’s time we made our mark. #LA28 #LA28Creator pic.twitter.com/XagKkA5d9a
— LA28 (@LA28) September 1, 2020
While it might be a clever idea, the idea, hashtagged “#LA28Creator,” it’s not really the first time some has attempted something like this — though it appears to be a first for the Olympics.
The ever morphing and often very colorful letter “A” also has the feel of many “#BlackLivesMatter” drawings done on public surfaces — often in chalk on a street or sidewalk — where different community artists contribute a different letter in the movement’s hashtag.
Another odd design choice is the use of the angled corners on only the “2” while the “L” and “8” keep their more traditional letterforms.
While printed applications of the logo won’t be able to change, it’s probably worth noting that there’s always plenty of digital opportunities — including digital signage in arenas — that would echo the dynamic look.
Even printed wraps on the walls around arenas or on step and repeat style backgrounds, which can’t change on the fly, often have repeating logos — so there’s an opportunity to showcase a decent variety in most of these cases.
It’s worth noting that this logo is only the identity for the organizing committee. Many TV networks, including NBC in the U.S., create their own logos for each event that are used on air.