The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) has appointed agency search and selection company AAR to help it select a brand and design agency to help refine brand positioning for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games and to develop a Games emblem and associated corporate identity.
It is expected the agency will be selected by February 2006 and will be given the task of developing the Games emblem with a full set of brand guidelines, and considering how the emblem – the identifying symbol of the London Games – would work in a variety of different settings.
The logo will be launched in late 2006 or early 2007 and will be used more prominently after the Beijing 2008 Games until the run-up to and after the 2012 Games.
LOCOG chief executive Keith Mills said, “the logo and brand identity of the London Games is hugely important – it is the emblem that everyone will identify with and be used to promote the Games. It needs to be visually attractive, strong and inspirational. The public must easily identify with it and it must be an effective tool for us to raise sponsorship to help fund the Games”.
The logo will be displayed at sporting competition venues, on merchandising and sponsor programs, and on vehicles and uniforms and associated corporate hospitality. It will also be featured prominently on the official London 2012 Mascot to be launched after the Beijing 2008 Games.
Meanwhile the London Olympic Bill cleared the House of Commons on December 6. The Bill will, among other things, formally establish the Olympic Delivery Authority and put in place controls on advertising and street trading around venues.
The Bill now moves to the House of Lords where it will receive its second reading on December 19.
