Olympic Games – Banner

With the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo officially pushed to July 2021, this quick idea popped into my head. I consider this more of a case study and re-imagining the Olympics logo than a rebrand. Since there is such equity in the mark, I challenged myself to build on the story of the rings, while still staying true to its roots.

I learned that 'The Americas' are represented by the color red, including both the North and South continents. In this refresh, I assigned both North America and South America their own ring. I added a ring for Antarctica, which to my knowledge is not represented. Therefore, there are two additional rings added, creating visual balance and signifying a ring for each continent. I did not change any of the existing color-assigned continents, I just added two.

With all that has happened in our world this year, I saw an opportunity for the 2021 Olympics to represent unity. More than ever, it's less about the physical location and more about fans being together while enjoying the art of sport. The two additional rings signify the joining of the world, even if that specific region isn’t directly involved in the games. The new circular shape nods to a huddle among all people, with interlocking strength. It is a symbol for hope, solidarity, and togetherness.

Check out @michaelirwinco on Instagram for full case study!