With the unveiling of the logo for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the Rio de Janeiro Organizing Committee has made one thing clear: the 2016 Olympic Games will be progressive, futuristic and modern.
Rio 2016 Olympic Logo: First 3-D Olympic Logo
Showcasing three human-like figures, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro logo, which was first shown to the public on the Copacabana beach on New Year’s Eve, is the first ever three-dimensional Olympic logo. The logo, which features an orange, a green and a blue figure, each intertwined to create both space and vibrancy, was created to showcase and represent the culture of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil while welcoming those from other nations, backgrounds and ways of life.
“The Rio 2016 Games brand communicates passion and transformation. The passion cariocas and Brazilians, in general, have for sport and celebration. And the transformation the Games are already bringing to Rio and Brazil,” Carlos Arthur Nuzman, the President of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, said on the Rio 2016 website.
The symbol was chosen because it best represented four ideals, according to the site. Those ideals include contagious energy, harmonious diversity, exuberant nature and Olympic spirit — the four pillars of Rio’s Olympic Games.
Olympic Emblem: The Creation of the Rio 2016 Logo
The final design was created by Tatil, a Rio de Janeiro-based design agency, and was chosen from among 139 submissions. During the five-moth process, the Rio Organizing Committee whittled the submissions down to eight finalists, eventually choosing the Tatîl design.
The design is reflective of the Rio de Janeiro bid, culture and ideals, according to International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, who was present at the unveiling ceremony in Brazil on Dec. 31, 2010.
“I would like to congratulate the Rio team for their choice of design for the Rio 2016 emblem, which I find very innovative and creative. It truly reflects Rio and Brazil’s vision for these Games, Brazilian’s passion for sport, and the coming together of different cultures around one project – the Olympic Games,” Rogge said after the unveiling, according to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic website
“Tonight, we saw Rio at its most passionate with millions of people gathered on Copacabana beach. This is a taste of the atmosphere that I’m sure athletes and spectators can expect in 2016 and a feeling that I’m sure the new symbol will help communicate far and wide. I think that all of Brazil should be proud of their new emblem and I for one look forward to seeing it become a key part of Brazil and Rio’s Olympic story.”
Olympic Logo Gives Host City an Identity
Because the logo becomes a type of face for the host city, the choosing an appropriate emblem is one of the most important and difficult tasks of the organizing committee, according to IOC Coordination Commission Chair Nawal El Moutawakel.
“The choice of an emblem for a host city is a crucial decision because it sets the tone and becomes the ‘face’ of those Games forever,” Nawal El Moutawakel said in a written statement. “I would therefore like to congratulate Rio 2016 on their selection because I believe that they have been able to perfectly capture their vision, and the emotion of Rio and Brazil, in their new logo. I have no doubt that it will become one of the world’s most recognizable brands over the coming few years and that it will help spread Rio’s message of passion and transformation across the planet.”
The 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games will begin Aug. 5, 2016 and end Aug. 21, 2016. To see the logo, visit the official Rio 2016 website.
Sources:
- "Brazil Unveils Logo for 2016 Olympic Games in Rio." Jan. 1, 2010, USAToday.
- Official Rio 2016 Website.
- Hula, Ed. "OpEd — Rio de Janeiro Enters New Dimension." Jan. 1, 2010, aroundtherings.com.
Kristen Nichols - Kristen is a freelance reporter and copywriter covering Olympic and Paralympic sport for Suite101.com. Kristen's love of sport developed ...
