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Saturday 13 October 2018

Olympic Games. The Design of the Olympic Rings. Design Focus.

I Lead-in. Think of the international sports competitions. Are these competitions popular in your country? What emblems and logos do you associate with these competitions?

II Watch the video. Put the sentences from the talk in order (1-4).
A.   Everyone is part of this emblem and that’s why it’s, in my opinion, a fantastic logo and still working after so many years.
B.   A ring is eternal, it’s a circle.
C.   It’s a piece of the world designed for everyone.
D.   And then it’s going to disappear and go off into the archives as a piece of Olympic history.

III Watch the video and fill in the gaps with the words from the list.


identity; symbolism; represent; simple; international; ongoing; rings; continents; go; over; fantastic; rules; generation; brands; history; flag; eternal; tremendous exposure; circle; Apple; global; shape; put their own stamp; designed; responsibility; disappear


What other 1)____________ can you imagine that is only asked to work in a very short time frame? This really is given 2)______    ______, more than any other identity and then it’s 3)_________.
And then it’s going to 4)____________ and go off into the archives as a piece of Olympic 5)____________ and the next city is going to go and 6)______   ______  _____ ________on it.
Salt Lake is going to come and 7)____________. It did come and go. The next Olympics came and went, and so on and so on, but the part that is 8)____________ are those 9)____________.
If you think of the strongest 10)____________ right now, you have Nike, you have Coca Cola, you have 11)____________, and I would put the Olympic Rings in that category as well. And there’s so much beautiful 12)____________ in the rings. A ring is 13)____________, it’s a 14)____________. It goes forever. The five rings 15)____________ the five 16)____________ and the colours of the rings represent one colour from every 17)____________ in the world.
It feels 18)____________ because of its 19)____________. It feels 20)____________ because of its colours and it feels so 21)____________ and clear.
If you think about it, the Olympic Rings are very basic and from a logo perspective, they stand up really well.
It’s a piece of the world 22)____________ for everyone. Everyone is part of this emblem and that’s why it’s, in my opinion, a 23)____________ logo and still working after so many years.
When you get handed the rights to the Olympic Rings and you get given the 24)____________ and the guidelines, you feel a huge 25)____________ to look after, to protect, but also to also to grow and to make sure there’s a next 26)____________ of people that know and understand what that mark stands for.


IV Match the words used in the video and the words with the definitions. Use 2 words in your sentences.

identity; exposure; eternal; global; rights; responsibility; generation; stand for
1.    characteristics of the thing
2.    showing, presentation
3.    legal authority
4.    people of about the same age
5.    lasting for a very long time or forever
6.    worldwide
7.    mean, symbolize
8.    duty to do something


V Watch the video again. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false statements.
1. Every host city puts its stamp on the Olympic Games logo.
2. Nike, Coca Cola, and Apple are example of sports brands.
3. Olympic Games logo is an oval.
4. Ring symbolizes eternity because it has no beginning and no end.
5. The six Olympic rings represent the six original competitions.
6. The colours of the rings represent the colours of the most popular Greek clothes.
7 Olympic rings feel global because of their shape.
8. Olympic Games logo feels international because of its size.
9.Olympic Games logo has the same look at every Games and never changes.
10. Every generation of people should know and understand what that mark stands for.

VI  Watch the video. Put the sentences from the talk in order (1-8).


A.   Visual identity is very important for  the Olympic Games.
B.   There is no strategy or guidelines as to how to display of these rings.
C.   There is history that is behind the Olympic Movement.
D.   The Games were organised in Paris, St Louis, London, and it was a success.
E.    The first edition of the modern Games were organized in 1896 in Athens.
F.    Coubertin designed the five rings.
G.   Olympic rings show that the competitions are organized in a specific country, but at the same time it’s a way to speak to the world.
H.   It started in Athens.

VII Watch the video. Complete the sentences with the words you hear.


There is this 1)____________, this history that is behind the 2)____________ Movement and behind the Games. Pierre de Coubertin 3)____________ the International Olympic Committee in 1894 in Paris and two years later, he was able to 4)____________ the Games in Athens, the first edition of the modern Games. For him, it was a pedagogical 5)___________. It was a strong message that he wanted to deliver.
It was really to help people to live 6)____________ and to respect others, to 7)____________ together in a way to be better in everyday life. So it started in Athens. The Games were organised in Paris, St Louis, London, and suddenly, it was a 8)____________.
Coubertin felt that it was very 9)____________ to have something that can remind people that these 10)____________ were something special, so he was certainly the one who created the most 11)____________ brand in the world. Coubertin 12)____________ the five rings early in the 20th century and suddenly the five 13)____________ appear, but there is not a real programme or a strategy regarding the display of these rings. But suddenly there is a fusion of the 14)___________ of host 15)__________ with the Olympic Movement.
Visual identity is very 16)____________ to remind that the Olympic Games are something that happens in a specific 17)____________, in a specific city, but at the same time it’s a way to speak to the 18)____________.


VIII Watch the video again and answer the questions.
1Who created the International Olympic Committee? When was the International Olympic Committee created?
2 In what city was the first edition of the modern Games organised? When was it organised?
3 What was the message or the main idea of the Olympic Games?
4 In what other cities were the Games organised? Were the Games successful?
5 Who designed the Olympic rings?
6 What is the fusion in the Olympic Games rings?
7 Why is visual identity important for the Olympic Games?

IX Look at the design of the Summer Olympic Games posters (1896-2016). A) Match the poster, the name of the city that hosted the Games, and the year of the Summer Olympic Games.
































1)    1896 – Athens, Greece

2)    1900 – Paris, France

3)    1904 – St. Louis, United States

4)    1908 – London, United Kingdom

5)    1912 – Stockholm, Sweden

6)    1920 – Antwerp, Belgium

7)    1924 – Paris, France

8)    1928 – Amsterdam, Netherlands

9)    1932 – Los Angeles, United States

10)                    1936 – Berlin, Germany

11)                    1948 – London, United Kingdom

12)                    1952 – Helsinki, Finland

13)                    1956 – Melbourne, Australia

14)                    1960 – Rome, Italy

15)                    1964 – Tokyo, Japan

16)                    1968 – Mexico

17)                    1972 – Munich, West Germany

18)                    1976 – Montreal, Canada

19)                    1980 – Moscow, Soviet Union

20)                    1984 – Los Angeles, United States
21)                    1988 – Seoul, South Korea
22)                    1992 – Barcelona, Spain

23)                    1996 – Atlanta, USA

24)                    2000 – Sydney, Australia

25)                    2004 – Athens, Greece

26)                    2008 – Beijing, China

27)                    2012 – London, United Kingdom

28)                    2016 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil



B) In the early years we can see elaborate poster and sign paintings. With the years, these detailed designs have been replaced by simple graphics of symbols and logos. With the years, these detailed designs have been replaced by simple graphics of symbols and logos. Match the logo, the name of the city that hosted the Games, and the year of the Summer Olympic Games. Match the logo with the description and analysis of the symbols it shows. Use expressions below to explain your choice.


I believe….
In my view…
To my mind…..
It seems to me that…


a)    The poster shows a group of athletes making the Olympic salute. In front of them are palm leaves, a symbol of victory, and the Paris coat of arms. The French flag floats in the background.

b)    The poster features the Games emblem, which is made up of three elements: the Olympic rings, the track of a stadium, which also forms the silhouette of a typical building, and a five-pointed star placed above.

c)    The image shows the cover of the official report, which is often named as the poster of the Games. The illustrations refer to the ancient Greek origin of the games. The image contains a number of references to Antiquity. At the top, the year 776 BC is traditionally given as the date of the first ancient Olympic Games. The young woman representing the goddess Athena holds in her hands a branch and a foliage crown. At the ancient Panhellenic Games, a foliage crown was awarded as the highest prize, and the type of foliage varied depending on the location of the competition. The goddess stands before a view of the Acropolis and the Panathenaic Stadium. As with the Acropolis, the Stadium dates back to Antiquity, when it hosted the Panathenaic Games, which paid homage to Athena.

 d)    The cover design of the expo’s daily program was used for the poster. Accompanied by ornaments, it is written in bold letters. In the middle of the poster is an area showing the city. With its curved lines, the image has an Art Nouveau style, offering an overall view of the city.

e)    The poster features Millennium Man, the figure in motion – formed by boomerangs, in a reference to the country’s indigenous culture – that was the emblem of the Games. Above him, a white flash representing the smoke of the Olympic torch evokes the peaks of the famous Sydney Opera House, which also appears at the bottom of the image. Millennium Man is placed against a blue background on which a human silhouette is seen running, and the names of the participating cities appear in tiny letters.
  
f)     The poster shows a high jumper in the Stadium at Shepherd’s Bush. Behind him are the swimming pool and the cinder running track. The image of an athlete was painted by Arthur Stockdale Cope. For the first time, the design is more related to the sporting event, rather than the hosting city.
  
g)    The emblem appears in the centre of the poster. The elements that make up the emblem appear to be radiating outwards, spiralling out in all directions with black and white parallel lines that give the impression of movement and recall the motifs of the Indian Huichol people.

 h)    The image shows a runner brandishing a laurel branch, a symbol of victory. The wording Olympische Spiele   appears on a blue background. The flag of the Netherlands floats at the bottom of the image.

i)      The poster shows a bronze statue of Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, a famous athlete who won a total of twelve Olympic medals. The statue was realised by the well-known Finnish sculptor Wäinö Aaltonen. The figure of the runner is superimposed over a part of the Earth, which shows Finland outlined in red.

j)     The poster shows the four-horse-drawn chariot on the Brandenburg Gate, a symbolic monument of the city of Berlin. In the background is the figure of a crowned winner. In the foreground the place and date of the Games are mentioned. The Olympic rings feature at the top of the poster.

 k)    The poster moved away from the figurative style frequently used in previous Olympic posters. With a pure design, it presents a three-page invitation that opens up towards the reader, standing out on a bright blue background. The Olympic rings feature on the first page, and a colour reproduction of the coat of arms of Melbourne appears on the last page.

l)      The poster shows the Ancient Greek custom of sending a young athlete to announce when the next Games would be held. The image was created using a clay model that was photographed then painted to give a 3D effect.

m)  The poster of the Games refers to both Ancient Greece and the international community of all participating countries. In Belle Epoque style, the poster shows a discus thrower in the foreground. Behind him are various swirling flags, attached to each other. In the background we can see the symbolic monuments of the host city: Notre Dame Tower, the Grote Markt, the Town Hall, and at the top right the coat of arms of the city.

n)    This poster is a modern adaptation of the Belvedere capital, which was originally found at the Baths of Caracalla in Ancient Rome. The capital shows a scene of acclamation of a victorious athlete, who, in line with Roman custom, is crowning himself with the right hand and holding the palm of victory in his left hand. The Capitoline Wolf, the symbol of Rome, feeds the twins Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of the city. The image was inspired by the famous bronze statue exhibited at the Palace of the Conservators in Rome.

o)    It is a simple and dynamic reinterpretation of the Rising Sun of the Japanese national flag, associated with the Olympic rings.

p)    The poster shows the silhouette of the roof in the shape of a tent of the Olympic installations. The Olympic tower stands in the background. At the top are the dates of the Games, as well as the official emblem, which was also designed by Otl Aicher. The poster was based on a photograph whose colours were re-worked to correspond to the palette established for the visual identity of the Games. A nylon texture was used to simulate the roof structure.

q)    The poster includes the emblem of the Games, the star in motion, and recreates the horizontal lines using various images. Its design of three interlocked star shapes evokes the spirit of competition between equals. At the same time its horizontal bars are intended to represent the speed of the athletes’ pursuit of excellence. The stars convey both the national and international aspect of the Games as they are present on the US flag, as well as on the flags of more than 47 other nations.

r)     Abstract shapes were arranged to spell out “2012”. “London” and the Olympic rings have been placed inside the shapes. It is a clear reference to the five rings that make up the Olympic symbol.

s)     The poster symbolises the motto of this edition of the Games: Harmony and Progress. The rings are in bright colours to show that the Olympic ideal promotes peace worldwide. The image of the athlete carrying the Olympic torch symbolises mankind’s progress towards happiness and prosperity. The design was produced by computer and the colours used are a mix of light blue and bright orange, which symbolise the Land of the Morning Calm.

t)      The emblem was designed by Josep Maria Trias. It evokes an athlete leaping over an obstacle which is represented by the Olympic rings. The simple lines of the silhouette reduce it to a head (from the blue of the Mediterranean), arms (bright yellow and open as a sign of hospitality) and legs (bright red, a symbol of life).

 u)    To celebrate the centennial of the modern Olympic Games, the poster combines classic and contemporary symbols. The athlete is at the centre of the illustration, on a background of the Olympic colours. A light grey version of the torch from emblem can be seen on the athlete’s torso. Through this drawing, the artist’s intention is to represent equally a man and a woman, as well as all the ethnicities of the participants at the Olympic Games.

v)    The poster shows athletes twirling their country’s flag, with that of Sweden in the foreground. It represents the march of nations towards the common objective of the Olympic Games. The poster was the subject of criticisms when it was published. The nudity of the figures caused shock, despite the addition of ribbons on the original design. For this reason, the poster was banned in China. The   the flags   on the poster were  arranged according to artistic criteria and not diplomatic. The poster refers to both Ancient Greece and the international community of all participating countries.  
  
w)  The poster features the emblem of the Games, created by two graphic arts studios: Wolff Olins and Red Design Consultants. It shows a crown of olive leaves – an allusion to the ancient Olympic Games, where it was awarded to the victors. This sacred tree was also the symbol of the ancient city-state of Athens. A symbol of peace, the olive branch forms an open circle – an invitation to come together and espouse the Olympic ideals. The blue and white colours recall the sea and the sky of the country.

 x)    The official poster shows birds flying above a mountainous landscape. The emblem of the Games is featured at the top of the poster. It represents a running, dancing human silhouette formed from the Chinese character jing (which means “the capital”).

y)    The poster presents an image of the marble statue of the Townley Discobulus (original displayed at the British Museum), with the Olympic rings, superimposed over a view of the Palace of Westminster. The classic and modern symbols of the Olympic Games are combined with one of the most symbolic monuments of the host city: the Clock Tower and Big Ben.

z)    The logo is based on a multi-colored graphic.On a white background, the poster features the emblem of the Olympic Games. The emblem, which evokes the shape of Rio’s iconic Sugarloaf Mountain, depicts athletes and figures coming together, with an individual and collective movement, in a warm embrace. Reflecting the core concepts of passion and transformation, the emblem conveys the notions of the Olympic spirit, exuberance, harmonious diversity and contagious energy.

aa) The bottom half of the poster shows the wording XVI Olympiadens Ryttartävlingar on a black background. The upper half, set against a marble background, shows the figure of an ancient rider on his horse. This figure recalls those which, for example, are depicted on the Parthenon frieze that is generally thought to have been sculpted in the 5th century BC under the direction of the sculptor Phidias.. Due to the Australian veterinary rules on equine quarantine, the equestrian events could not take place in Melbourne. They took place in Stockholm, Sweden.

bb)                    Entitled The invitation, the poster shows the five Olympic rings resounding symbolically in successive waves, thus inviting athletes from every continent to the Olympic Games.

cc) The poster shows a female fencer dressed in black, holding the traditional weapons of sports fencing: foil, epee and sabre. In the context of the history of sport, showing a female athlete was unusual at the time. 


X OVER TO YOU.  Design a poster for the Summer Olympic Games in your country (or a new poster if the country hosted the Games in the past). Remember that the poster should include Olympic symbols such as  rings and also show the culture of the host city and country. Show it to other students and/or describe it.



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