• A$240

• 33 designs

• 19 designers

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Logo Design Brief

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Games logo needs a redesign to better reflect the homophobic attitude of the host country towards gay and lesbian citizens / tourists / foreigners. Russia’s President and the country’s politicians have agreed to outlaw public expressions of “non-traditional sexual relations” - from waving the rainbow flag (as Tilda Swinton did recently) or cuddling your gay partner in public. If you’re caught, ‘offenders’ face arrest and jail time.

We think the existing logo needs an overhaul to accurately reflect Russia’s harsh attitude. Designers are invited to design a new logo for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. Designs can range from serious to super-camp and designs that are satirical in nature. Flamboyant and political designs are welcome. Please provide a design rational when submitting your design.

Critics claim, " there are too many elements competing for attention." The logo was designed by global brand consultancy Interbrand. It is designed to reflect Sochi's geographic position between the mountains and the sea. The design should "feel fresh and up-to-date, promising a new Russia that perhaps the wider world doesn't know". Does the logo reflect a 'new Russia'? Designers, we invite you to design a new Sochi Olympics logo!

Background:

The logo didn't impress the design community when it launched and it's gone through several revamps since Russia won the 2014 Olympics bid. But more importantly the Olympic 'spirit' - 'to take part' – has taken a beating.

In June this year, supported by the Duma, Russian President Vladmir Putin signed into law the so called ‘gay propaganda bill’, which bans individuals and groups from displaying public statements of "non-traditional sexual relations". The law targets ordinary Russian citizens but it applies to foreigners too. Right now, if you're a gay, lesbian, queer and transgender (GBLT) Russian citizen, or a 2014 Olympic athlete or foreigner planning to visit the country – and you plan on expressing your homosexuality - stay invisible or face the hostile ire of the authorities!

How the law will impact the Olympics next year is unclear but the head of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge said: “The Olympic charter is very clear. It says that sport is a human right and it should be available to all regardless of race, sex or sexual orientation. And the Games themselves should be open to all, free of discrimination. So our position is very clear.”

Vitaly Churkin, Russian Ambassador to United Nations: “All athletes, I can tell you, are going to be just fine. But we do expect everybody to respect our laws as well.”

The international community is outraged and gay rights activists have condemned the decision.

English actor Stephen Fry wrote an open letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron and the International Olympic Committee calling for the world to boycott the games.

“An absolute ban on the Russian Winter Olympics of 2014 in Sochi is simply essential. Stage them elsewhere... in Utah, Lillehammer, anywhere you like.

“At all costs Putin cannot be seen to have the approval of the civilised world. He is making scapegoats of gay people just as Hitler did Jews. He cannot be allowed to get away with it,” wrote Stephen Fry.

UK actress, Tilda Swinton, flew to Moscow to raise the Rainbow flag in front of Moscow’s Kremlin and was nearly arrested. If tourists, who are caught publicly displaying the rainbow flag or seen to be show any dissent against this law, will face 15 days in jail.

Resources:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/stephen-fry-urges-russia-banned-2136585#ixzz2boHnbkTW
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/july-dec13/russia_08-12.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/05/tilda-swinton-rainbow-flag-russia-_n_3550360.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/18/female-russian-athletes-kiss-protest-anti-gay_n_3775916.html

Design community reaction:
http://www.logodesignlove.com/sochi-2014-olympic-logo

Official website:
http://www.sochi2014.com/en/

IOC Charter / Olympic Spirit definitions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOC_charter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_spirit

Target Market(s)

The international community, gay rights activists, Russian citizens, Russian Politicians, Fans of the Olympics, Olympics Sponsors

Industry/Entity Type

Political

Logo Text

Sochi 2014 Olympic Logo Redesign

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Logo styles of interest

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Look and feel

Each slider illustrates characteristics of the customer's brand and the style your logo design should communicate.

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Requirements

Must have

• Designs can be serious submissions to improve the existing design. Funny / playful / humorous / intelligent designs are welcome. Think super-camp designs and designs that are satirical in nature.
  
  Provide a design rationale with your design submission.

Should not have

• Designs that are offensive and hateful.

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Files

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