The Olympics has had a rich history dating back to around 3,000 years ago.
As of now, there have been more than 30 editions of the Summer Olympic Games and more than 20 editions of the Winter Olympic Games, leading to a total of more than 50 distinct Olympic emblems.
Even more popular than those emblems, perhaps, is the iconic five-ring logo itself.
This iconic logo has gone through a few different changes since its original creation more than 100 years ago.
The Origin Of The Olympics
The history of the Olympics dates back around 3,000 years ago, with the first written evidence of the games appearing in 776 BC.
At this time, the Greeks began to keep track of time between each game. Initially, the games featured a single event, the stadion race, which was a sprint of about 190 meters.
The endpoint of the races was marked by the olive tree of Zeus. This tree was considered to be sacred and was the same tree the victory wreaths were cut.
Over time, additional events were introduced, including the diaulos (a two-length race), the dolichos (a long-distance race), wrestling, the pentathlon, boxing, chariot racing, and the pancratium (a no-holds-barred combat sport).
These games were held every four years – also known as “Olympiads” – giving the “Olympic” games their name. The reason for the games was to be a tribute to the famous Greek god Zeus.
Although the specific reason for the beginning of the Olympics is up for debate, many believe it stemmed from the myth that Zues’ son Hercules began the games and built the stadium in honor of his father.
In the mid-fourth century BC, a new spacious stadium was built, growing attendance by 50%. It no longer became just about honoring Zeus, as the new stadium included over 70 different altars with different designated areas for sacrificing to many different deities.
The growth from there continued. Changes continued to be made to the stadium, and more artful displays and games were added.
Over 40,000 people attended the games at their height. But eventually, these games came to a halt.
In 393 AD, under the reign of Roman Emperor Theodosius I, the Olympic games were finally put a stop to because they were believed to be encouraging paganism.
The Start Of The Modern Day Olympics
Fast forward to the late 19th century, many initiatives began popping up in an attempt to rekindle the games, although the games wouldn’t successfully be restarted until June 1894. This time, the games were restored under the first Olympic Congress.
The 1894 games took place at the Grand Amphitheatre at Sorbonne University, and the event was organized by Baron Pierre de Coubertin – French educator, historian, and co-founder of the International Olympic Committee – and more than 2,000 people attended.
When the Olympics started back up again in 1896, there was no official logo yet, and there wouldn’t be one until decades later. In fact, they wouldn’t even have a technical emblem until 1924.
The first couple of decades of the modern Olympics did feature some posters and related designs for each of the events. 1924 was a big year for the Olympics.
Not only was it the year the Olympics created their first official emblem, but it was also the first year the Winter Olympics would be held in addition to the Summer Olympics.
The 1924 emblem featured wasn’t well-documented, and its designer remains unknown.
However, the emblem featured simple and classic design elements typical of the early 20th-century Olympic Games.
The Creation Of The Logo
Today, many people can quickly recognize the Olympics with their five famous interlocking rings. These rings weren’t presented to the public until 1923.
They were first used more than 25 years after the new Olympic Games began, making their first public appearance at the Olympic Jubilee Congress in 1914 in Paris which was held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the new Olympic Movement.
They later made their first appearance at the Belgium games in 1920. However, the first official appearance in one of the game’s emblems was in 1932, Lake Placid – the next official emblem after the one in 1924. It also made an official appearance in the 1928 St. Moritz, Switzerland, poster.
The symbol featured five interlocked rings that were in five different colors.
This included blue, yellow, black, green, and red. It was first drawn by Coubertin on top of a letter in 1913.
When Coubertinfirst created the rings, he explained that they represented the five parts of the world that won over to Olympism and were ready to accept its “fertile rivalries.”
Since then, the symbol has been a staple of the Olympic image. Every logo since has used the rings as a symbol in some capacity.
The Olympics Logo 1912-1986
The first variation of the iconic ring logo very much resembled the one still used today. It still used the same five rings in the order of blue, yellow, black, green, and red.
However, there were a couple of key differences. First, the rings were thicker.
Second, the colors were slightly different shades. The wasn’t as bright as it is today, while the yellow was much brighter. The blue was also a deeper royal blue color.
This is the same variation of the logo that would be used across all of their game emblems and other materials until 1986.
The Olympics Logo 1986-2010
In 1986, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to modernize the logo.
During the redesign, thin white lines were introduced at the points where the rings interlock, giving it a more clean and unique appeal. The rings were also thinner than before.
The final significant difference was the color. While the logo once again had the blue, yellow, black, green, and red rings, the blue was a lighter color, the yellow was turned into more of a golden shade, and the red and green were also lightened.
This variation of the logo overall had a much more clean and professional appeal.
The Current Olympics Logo
One more redesign of the logo was done in 2010.
The spaces added where the rings interlocked were removed to once again look more like the original.
However, the new colors stayed the same. This was to give the logo a more clean, versatile, and professional look.
This is one of the most iconic versions of the logo and is the one that is still used today.
Alternative Olympic Logo Versions
Although by far the most common version of the Olympic logo is the five-color logo, the International Olympic Committee says there are actually seven official logos used today in total – one being the typical five-color variant, one made completely in each of the five colors, and one monochrome logo.
This means officially, there is the original logo, a monochrome logo, an all-blue logo, an all-yellow logo, an all-black logo, an all-green logo, and an all-red logo.
These logos are only used when it is not feasible to reproduce the rings in their full-color format.
They are simply used as an alternative while maintaining the integrity and recognition of the Olympic symbol.
However, they can sometimes be found being used for media and editorial use, branding, and merchandise, and when there are visibility concerns with the original logo due to backgrounds and other considerations.
The Editorial Rules for Using the Olympic Logo
For the Olympic logo to be used for editorial work, there are also many rules surrounding what is allowed and what isn’t. Any of the seven official logos may be used.
The logos are not allowed to be used with gaps, different tones of gray, reordered colors, unofficial monochrome variations, modified colors, inserted imagery, inserted outlines, or cropped.
They are also not allowed to be flipped, rotated, inverted, made 3D, stretched, reshaped, made into a gradient, or have shapes, shadows, words, or illustrations added.
Specific rules also apply to the background. The full-color rings must be accompanied by a white background, and a consistent background must also be used behind monochrome variations.
No graphics are allowed to be placed in front of, behind, or through the rings.
Olympic Logo Design Elements
The Olympic logo can be broken down into three key features – the symbolic color scheme, the representation of the five continents, and the interlocking rings.
The Colors
The core Olympic logo consists of five interlocking rings – each a different color. These colors help illustrate the five continents that united for the games and all of the athletes that net up to compete from around the world.
The rings are in the order of blue, yellow, black, green, and red. Additionally, the traditional white background is often considered to be a sixth color.
A common misconception is that each of these is used to represent specific colors from certain countries’ flags. However, that is not the case.
When the design was made by Coubertin in 1913, he specifically used those five colors combined with the white background to make sure that every country was represented, as those colors could be found in every flag of all the flags of all nations at that time – not just specific ones.
The Five Continents
The Olympic logo has always represented the unity of all nations, and the design of the rings was no exception.
The logo was created only a few months after the 1912 games in Stockholm, Sweden – the first year that all five inhabited continents of the world were competing.
The five interconnected rings were designed to symbolize the unity of the five continents participating in the games – Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
The Interlocking Rings
It wasn’t only the colors that represented all of the nations coming together. There is also a reason the logo has been drawn with interlocking rings.
The interlinked rings are used as a powerful representation of equality, depicting the unity and connection of nations and cultures that joined together for the spirit of sports.
Lessons From The Olympics Logos
The evolution of the Olympic logo offers valuable insights into how brands can balance tradition with meaning and modern-day best practices.
Each iteration of the logo teaches us important lessons about maintaining a connection to the past while embracing progress.
Respecting Tradition
Even though the Olympic logo has evolved, the basic design of the rings has remained consistent. The IOC has stayed true to Coubertin’s original design for all of these years, preserving the heritage of its creation.
This commitment to tradition not only honors the historical significance of the Games but also reinforces a sense of continuity and stability in the Olympic Movement.
By maintaining this iconic symbol, the IOC connects past, present, and future generations of athletes and fans.
Being Inclusive
The Olympic logo is considered inclusive because of its symbolic representation and the values it embodies.
The logo, consisting of five interlaced rings, represents the union of the five continents and the coming together of athletes from around the world.
The original logo design, which has been mostly maintained all these years, also includes five different colors, making sure that every nation’s flag is represented.
The Power Of Color
The colors of the rings, along with the white background, were chosen to represent the flags of every country.
The blue, yellow, black, green, and red colors were used by Coubertin’s initial draft of the logo to make sure each nation’s flag would have matching colors and used the symbol to represent the coming together of everyone for the games.
The traditional white background is also used as a sixth staple color. Color is a very powerful tool if used correctly in logo design, and the IOC made sure to make the best use of it.
Having A Simple But Meaningful Approach
Though the official Olympic logo is relatively simple and versatile, it is still packed with symbolism.
The rings symbolize the five inhabited continents, the interlacing design of the rings represents the interconnection and equality of the nations, and the colors were used to make sure every country that participated in the games was represented by choosing colors that would include everyone’s flags.
While they were able to make sure everyone participating in the games was able to be a part of the logo, the IOC kept it a more minimalist design, making it easy to incorporate into merchandise, the game emblems, editorial use, and more.
The history of the Olympic logo reflects decades of adaptation, symbolism, and timeless design principles. The presence of the iconic rings and their powerful colors shows the Olympics’ commitment to tradition, inclusivity, and global unity. By balancing these elements with a modern touch, the Olympic logo continues to connect generations and inspire athletes and fans around the world.
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