The new OFFICIAL Sochi 2014 Logo

Delirium · #1 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 12:40 AM**

Logo for Sochi Games Encourages Pointing and Clicking
By JEFFREY MARCUS

In the coming months, you’ll be seeing the Vancouver 2010 logo on TV, on the Web and in print as athletes and organizers make their final push for the Winter Games. Looking ahead another four years, organizers of the 2014 Games in Sochi unveiled their latest branding campaign in Russia on Tuesday.

“It’s very appealing. It’s very creative, innovative,” the International Olympic Committee president, Jacques Rogge, said at the unveiling. “I think it will appeal especially to the young population.”

The logo, which is more text than image, incorporates for the first time the Games’ Internet domain, sochi.ru.

The design was created by the firm Interbrand at a cost less than the $650,000 spent on London’s logo for the 2012 Summer Games, said Dmitry Chernyshenko, the C.E.O. of the Sochi organizing committee. Interbrand does design work for international companies like AT&T, Dunkin Donuts and Stolichnaya vodka.

Brand Republic, a U.K. media and marketing site, asked design mavens to critique the Sochi logo. The response is mixed.

“My first reaction was thank goodness it’s not trying to be desperately hip,” said Richard Morris, the design director for Identica. “I think it’s just a good, commonsense idea. And at least everyone will know Sochi is in Russia. Job done.”

David Harris, the creative director for Wunderman, is not a fan. “What has been heralded as a ‘ground breaking logo’ for the Sochi Winter Games looks to me disappointingly, not very ‘ground breaking’,” he said. “On a positive note it looks infinitely more stylish than the controversial London 2012 jigsaw logo but nowhere near as memorable.”

http://vancouver2010.blogs.nytimes.c...-and-clicking/

Yume-sama · #2 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 12:52 AM**

I fail to see how it is appealing, creative, or innovative.

And I should *hope* it cost less than $650,000 to make. That's not something to brag about, when the guy went online, downloaded a font pack, and slapped the Olympic logo on it.

Hed Kandi · #3 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 1:14 AM**

Cue 'vomit emoticon'.

Yume-sama · #4 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 1:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hed Kandi

Cue 'vomit emoticon'.

Mmm, to find common ground finally!

mr.x · #5 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 3:24 AM**

Puke face.

Congratulations London, someone beat you in having the worst logo ever!

CBeats · #6 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 4:58 AM**

Boooooriiiiiing.

Rothwell · #7 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 5:04 AM**

I LIKE it!

zivan56 · #8 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 5:29 AM**

They especially needed a logo due to most non-young people in Russia only being able to read the Cyrillic alphabet.
A number of Russian people will think that says:
<unreadable>os<unreadable>.g<unreadable>
<unreadable>oich

Or at least something like that.

Rusty Gull · #9 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 6:01 AM**

“It’s very appealing. It’s very creative, innovative,” the International Olympic Committee president, Jacques Rogge, said at the unveiling. “I think it will appeal especially to the young population.”

When you hear these words, run. Some of the biggest marketing fiascoes in history were launched with these same words.

Yume-sama · #10 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 6:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rusty Gull

“It’s very appealing. It’s very creative, innovative,” the International Olympic Committee president, Jacques Rogge, said at the unveiling. “I think it will appeal especially to the young population.”

When you hear these words, run. Some of the biggest marketing fiascoes in history were launched with these same words.

Yes, one *could* argue a 66 year old man isn't "in tune" with the young folks.

Most marketing, I have to say, is pretty clueless. Especially when targeting the "young population".

There are some genius marketing schemes, but this, is not one of them

NetMapel · #11 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 6:23 AM**

Why are they targeting young people who have the least amount of disposable income among all age groups ?

SpongeG · #12 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 6:43 AM**

i quite like it - perhaps the graphic designer in me but its very appealing

jlousa · #13 Posted: **Dec 2, 2009, 6:47 AM**

While it might not be great it is better then London 2012. It's like the designer was anti-olympics and was using Lisa Simpson as imagery of the bad taste about to be left in their mouths.

Delirium · #14 Posted: **Dec 3, 2009, 12:13 AM**

and here's their "look of the games". they call it ice crystals.

http://www.underconsideration.com/br...w_crystals.php

http://www.underconsideration.com/br...w_crystals.php

get him a glass of cristal champagne now!

http://www.underconsideration.com/br...w_crystals.php

http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/cold_with_a_chance_of_snow_crystals.php

mr.x · #15 Posted: **Dec 3, 2009, 12:19 AM**

^ the brand is tons better than London's, while the Sochi logo...well, I've changed my mind - can't decide which one is crappier: the one with Lisa Simpson or the one that uses 1970's fonts.

The Vancouver 2010 is hands down the best Olympic brand/look of the games yet. And I've gotta say that I've really warmed up to the logo.

johnjimbc · #16 Posted: **Dec 3, 2009, 12:32 AM**

I like the ice crystals, though that blue is certainly familiar

. But it seems really one dimensional as a theme. It's just hard for me to picture what else you do with it except repeat it over and over.

One thing that has really grown on me about the Vancouver "look of the Games" is how the "interwoven" lines have all sorts of subtle details "emerge" from them. So when you study the poster or any of the banners, you notice plants or birds or objects, all with connections and connotations to the Vancouver / Whistler region. It's a neat way of maintaining a consistent look, yet providing a backdrop story as well.

I suppose you could do something like that with the "crystals" theme as well, but it seems more limiting. As the interwoven lines in the Vancouver look creates "waves," you can imagine it as an actual wave. So, emotionally, it is like the subtle images are hidden by a wave, and you get to see the image exposed as it bobs along of when the wave recedes.

Unless the crystals "melt" to reveal something more

, they remain simply ice crystals.

I know I'm speaking literally about something that's symbolic, but that's my initial thought.

The whole idea of the "look" is to evoke an emotional response. I really like how Vancouver does that, but manages to do it in a way that telegraphs a lot of tiny details. I just don't see how you do that with "crystals," at least at first glance.

LotusLand · #17 Posted: **Dec 3, 2009, 12:37 AM**

What is our official logo, the one with the Inukshuk?

johnjimbc · #18 Posted: **Dec 3, 2009, 1:07 AM**

Yes, at least I think. There is the little colorful inikshuk with vancouver 2010 centered underneath, and the Olympic rings beneath that. This guy:

http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...27a67f9eb37bf6

But we are talking about two things within this topic. The actual logo for the games as well as the look of the games (70's font and ice crystals for sochi / inikshuk emblem and "waves" - is there an actual term vanoc uses to describe it? - for vancouver).

Edit: I found this cool video I've never seen before . . . the look of the Vancouver games is called "Transmoflection"

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MsATxMHnO8

metroXpress · #19 Posted: **Dec 3, 2009, 1:50 AM**

Even the one used during the bidding process looked great!

Holden West · #20 Posted: **Feb 15, 2010, 7:47 AM**

I could have sworn there was a Vancouver logo thread but I can't find it.

I'm trying to find all the unauthorized versions of the inukshuk logo.

Of course there is the famous PETA parody.

And this Taser-inspired one.

And this cartoon.

And this take on illegal drugs.

I'm pretty sure a couple of forumers here have used parodies as avatars. Any more?