Every four years, the Olympics undergo a branding reinvention. The five rings hold a special place in world culture, but the host city has a chance to evolve and adapt the brand to better suit changing tastes. The Olympic brand is then judged by how well it reflects its wider cultural context, from better engaging younger audiences to maintaining its all-important legacy.
The Olympics still garners global attention. It’s still one of the few opportunities that can cultivate global unity. And it’s still a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a host city to reframe history and perceptions, and present itself in a way that resonates with audiences, new and old.
Judging by the reaction to date, the Paris 2024 brand has been a huge success, reminding a post-COVID world of the global visual spectacle of the Games and setting a bar that future hosts—like Los Angeles in 2028—will have to meet.
Smart design from our Paris studio, W Conran Design, helped reinvigorate the Olympics brand: Design that didn’t shy away from scrutiny, avoided trading in outdated stereotypes and ended up serving as inspiration for future mega-events.
No ‘ooh la la’
The Paris 2024 brand was a brand for not just the Games, but for Paris and France more widely. The design encouraged viewers to reappraise the spirit and values of the country and see Paris as a modern and progressive city to global audiences. Paris 2024’s branding was designed to champion openness, as demonstrated by the ‘Games Wide Open’ tagline; French history and imagery were present, but subtly so—in the background, never center stage.
Our Paris team made sure no French cliché made its way into the branding. No berets, no fine dining over the Seine and, in short, no “ooh la la.” Instead, they used abstract forms and typographic styles to merge Parisian elegance with playful innovation, and challenge outdated perceptions of French design.
Elements like stripes inspired by Marinière textiles and colors drawn from Paris’ sandstone architecture created a design that felt modern and uniquely Parisian. That bold step away from tradition created a modern, accessible brand identity for both the Games and the centuries-old French city.
Still, it would have been disrespectful and inauthentic to ignore Paris’ long and storied history entirely. The visual identity was rooted in Orphism, a Parisian art movement from the early 20th century that embraced abstraction and vivid colors. That allowed the Games to both project modernity and celebrate Paris’ rich artistic heritage.
Inclusivity is a branding advantage
Paris 2024 featured a record number of events with equal gender representation among athletes. This inclusivity became the Games’ guiding principle, and its North Star. It’s also why both the Olympics and Paralympics followed the same visual identity. No differentiation between the two events; instead, one event under one banner.
Of course, the focus on inclusivity wasn’t just a moral imperative. It was a branding advantage.
From the very start of the opening ceremony, the Games inspired conversations about what inclusivity looks like in both sports and society. The Phryges, the event mascots, are a good example. Designed to reflect France’s revolutionary spirit, they evolved into a cultural icon: genderless, adaptable, modern and, above all, fun. Thoughtful design inspired an emotional connection with the Games’ viewers—and it sold well, too.
What lessons should mega-events learn from Paris 2024?
The legacy of Paris 2024 is still unfolding, but our work on the Games’ brand highlights four important lessons for anyone organizing a mega-event.
First, address criticism head-on. Rather than ducking from difficult conversations or awkward perceptions, turn these challenges into opportunities. Paris 2024, by tackling concerns over societal relevance, revitalized the image of both the Games and France.
Second, embrace inclusivity as a central design principle. This sets new standards and builds emotional connections with diverse audiences.
Third, reimagine tradition. Avoid clichés and seize the opportunity to reinterpret cultural identity; this will help modernize even the most established brands.
But don’t go too far. A successful host city brand will balance legacy and modernity; the past resonates with audiences, contemporary values ensure relevance.
Paris 2024 succeeded in making the Olympics cool again, a mega sporting event that became a cultural moment in time. As the Evening Standard wrote, the Olympics were “inarguably cool. They felt young and vibrant and joyful.”
But they also changed perceptions of Paris, from a city that even our French colleagues acknowledge can feel aloof and standoffish to one that felt warm, open and welcoming. It shows that even a city as renowned as Paris can benefit from a fresh design approach.
On Dec. 5, Fortune held its Brainstorm Design conference at the MGM Cotai in Macau, where panelists and attendees debated “Experiments in Experience:” designs that blur the line between the physical and digital worlds to captivate users and foster lasting connections. Catch up with what speakers shared on stage, and follow all our design coverage here!
