The quadrennial Olympic Games will be held from July 26 to August 11 this year in Paris, France. This marks the return of the Summer Olympics to Paris after 100 years since the 8th Summer Olympics in 1924.Each Olympic Games is not only a grand gathering of athletes from around the world but also a visual feast of design and creativity. Here, we explore the nine major design highlights of this event, including the unique emblem, charming mascots, exquisite sports icons, distinctive medals, eye-catching torch, and impressive posters and overall visual identity.

  

1. Emblem: First Incorporation of a Human Face Design

  The design of the Paris 2024 Olympic emblem is ingenious, showcasing the glory of the Olympic gold medal and the passion of the Olympic flame while cleverly incorporating the French national symbol, Marianne, to pay tribute to female athletes.

2. Mascots: Representing Ideals and Spirit

  On November 14, 2022, the Paris Organizing Committee unveiled the official mascots for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics—“Phryges.”

Paris Olympic mascot (left) Paris Paralympic mascot (right)

  The design inspiration for "Phryges" comes from the traditional French Phrygian cap, anthropomorphized to make it more lively and interesting. The Phrygian cap, also known as the liberty cap, was commonly worn during the French Revolution. Its distinctive conical shape and forward-leaning tip make it iconic. Interestingly, this cap also inspired the headwear of the Smurfs in the popular animated series.

  The combination of sports and fashion is a significant feature of the graphic design for the 2024 Paris Olympics,” said Julie Matikhine, Brand Director of the Paris 2024 Olympics. “Our visual design is based on the slogan 'Sous les pavés, les Jeux' (Under the paving stones, the Games).”

  This slogan, derived from “Sous les pavés, la plage!” (Under the paving stones, the beach!), represents a revolutionary spirit and provides a complete storytelling method. “In every city and village in France, paving stones are ubiquitous, symbolizing our history,” Matikhine explained.

  The sports icons of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics are affectionately called “Blazons” (emblems) by Brand Director Julie Matikhine. They are seen as “badges of honor” because of their intricate designs that resemble those on heraldic emblems.

  As can be seen from the pictures provided, the sports icons of the 2024 Paris Olympics are uniquely designed and do not contain any depictions of human figures. Each icon is carefully composed of three core graphic elements: an axis of symmetry, a detailed depiction of the ground, and the unique characteristics of the sport shown. It is worth mentioning that there are 70 sports icons for the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, of which 8 icons remain consistent in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This is because no matter who participates in these sports, the elements in the sports icons they show are the same, highlighting the inclusiveness and universality of these sports.

5. Track: First Use of Romantic Purple

  The track at the Stade de France, where athletics events will be held, has been paved with a romantic lavender purple to match the color scheme of the Paris 2024 visual identity system.

  This is also the first time that the Paris Olympic Games replaced the original red and blue track colors with purple. According to the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee, "Since its establishment, the organizing committee has been trying to innovate and break the rules. In response to the blue, green and purple of this Olympics, we chose to use a refreshing purple and divided it into dark and light purple according to the function of the track: the dark purple area is the technical area, and the light purple area is the track area."

  Compared to the original red track, the purple track can form a sharp contrast with the gray audience seats. At the same time, purple can better highlight the athletes' figures in TV broadcasts, making them more conspicuous on the track, making it an excellent stage for athletes to stand out. In addition, this soft tone is also more friendly to the audience's eyes. We hope to create an elegant, light and warm visual experience with original colors that have never been used before.

6. Olympic Torch: Symmetrical Design Inspired by Water

  The design of the 2024 Paris Olympic Torch was inspired by the ingenuity of French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, who cleverly combined three elements. The torch is centered on the image of "water", echoing the Seine River flowing through Paris, and through the clever design of symmetry and arc, it conveys the Olympic spirit of peace, equality and unity to the world.

  The number of male and female athletes in the Paris Olympics reached an unprecedented balance, with men and women accounting for 50% each, marking the first time in Olympic history that gender equality has been achieved. In order to highlight this important milestone, the designer chose a symmetrical structure to shape the torch, which deeply reflects the Olympic spirit of equality.

  The Seine River, a world cultural heritage site, has witnessed the prosperity and development of Parisian culture. The designer drew inspiration from the image of "water" as the main element of the torch design. The 3D ripple effect on the lower half of the torch is inspired by the ripples on the water surface, and it also seems to show the reflection of the Eiffel Tower in the Seine River, further emphasizing the close connection between the Paris Olympics and water.

  The curved design of the torch is simple and elegant, and the upper part adopts a smooth matte texture, conveying a sense of peace. In addition, the designer cleverly opened a thin slit on the upper side of the torch, allowing the flame to burst out from the side, so that the flame can keep burning even in rainy weather and is not easy to extinguish. The designer said: "The design of the torch is far more complex, high-tech and requires superb technology than I imagined. I hope it can show pure beauty and symbolic meaning. Whether it is during the torchbearer's relay or in the museum's display, it can become an iconic symbol of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games."

  In order to show tolerance and harmony, the official posters of this Olympic Games and Paralympic Games adopt a unique diptych design, with two paintings complementing each other and forming a complete picture together. The two posters can be appreciated separately or placed side by side, perfectly blending into a whole, marking that the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are closely connected in an unprecedented way.

  It is reported that the official poster of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games was created by the talented illustrator Ugo Gattoni, who spent four months and 2,000 hours of hard work to complete this masterpiece.

  The poster is full of rich details, including various characters, objects and buildings. The background is a city built by stadiums, and it is also a vibrant and multicultural world city, showing the spectacular scene of the Paris seaside being fully occupied by sports.

  Looking down from the diving board with the Olympic slogan "Citius, Altius, Fortius - Communiter" (meaning "Faster, Higher, Stronger - More United"), the artist's utopian city is itself an amazing graphic art: 29 Olympic sports and 18 Paralympic sports are cleverly integrated into various patterns and buildings, showing the infinite charm and inclusiveness of sports.

  In the design of the Paris Olympic medals, CHAUMET cleverly combines tradition, sports and jewelry making, inspired by three unique themes: hexagons, light and mosaic art. As we all know, the Eiffel Tower, the iconic building in Paris, has always retained some of its original structures during the years of repair and reconstruction, and these structures have been carefully preserved. CHAUMET specially selected the original iron of the Eiffel Tower, cut it into hexagons, and cleverly embedded it into the medals. In this way, a piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower in Paris is embedded in the center of each medal, making the medal full of unique memories of Paris, and every winning athlete can bring this "Parisian feeling" back to his own country. In addition, the embossed lines surrounding the medals resemble the sun's rays, which is not only an artistic design, but also a deep tribute to the French "City of Light".

  As the largest sponsor of the Olympics, Louis Vuitton, a subsidiary of LVMH, will certainly not miss the opportunity to participate in the event and design and produce medal boxes and torch boxes. This is not only an important mission of the brand at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but also a continuation of the history of handmade suitcases.

  The medal box is inspired by the classic LV box, covered with Monogram canvas and equipped with brass corners and closures used on LV suitcases since the 1850s. The box is divided into a central and two wing-like designs, which open to reveal drawers designed to hold 468 medals.

  To protect the torch during the flame relay, each cleverly designed torch suitcase has round "sockets" on the base and lid, into which the torch is mounted and securely fixed. The interior is made of soft black matte leather, which can be easily transformed into an elegant display cabinet by simply turning it over to reveal the embossed Paris 2024 Olympic Games logo.

  What do you think of the overall design for the Paris 2024 Olympics? Feel free to leave your comments and share your thoughts.