History Of Olympics Logos

While the Olympic Games have been around since ancient Greece, the history of Olympics logos is much shorter. The instantly recognizable Olympic logo, featuring 5 interlocked rings on a white background, was designed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1913 for the Paris Congress of the Olympic Movement. The five rings are said to stand for the five continents that participate in the Olympics, although there is no assignment of any particular ring to a particular continent. The colors of the rings - black, yellow, red, blue and green - are colors that are used in the flags of participating countries.

But the well known Olympic logo isn't the only symbol used to represent the games.  Apart from the actual sporting competitions, one of the most anticipated parts of the Olympic Games is the unveiling of the host city's Olympic logo and mascots. The logo for the upcoming London games in 2012 has been almost universally panned since its release but it's not the first in the history of Olympics logos to get a bashing from both the press and the fans. Here are the stories behind a few of the designs that make up the history of Olympics Logos.

1. London 2012. According to the London2012.com website, the goal behind the logo was to create a symbol that would unite people, "where everyone is invited to take part."  This was a worthwhile and appropriate goal, seeing as the logo is also being used for the Paralympics Games being held in 2012. Unfortunately, the logo is universally disliked, and its jagged design and obtrusive colors seem more alarming than inspiring. Time will tell if the world will warm up to the logo; by the time 2012 rolls around, it might be just right.
2. Mexico 1968. This was another logo that was originally panned by many as unattractive, and what was worse, difficult to decipher. But designer Lance Wyman stood behind his design, inspired by Pop-art and local Mexican artwork, and in the end it became one of the most iconic Olympic logo designs.
3. Sydney 2000. An excellent example of everything an Olympic logo should aspire to.  The use of local imagery like waves and boomerangs bring the host city to mind, while the vibrant use of the Olympic colors and an active font put the excitement of the Games front and center.
4. Paris 1924. The 1924 Games in Paris were the first time that an official logo was created to mark the event. While the simple line drawing is a bit dull by today's standards, it was the beginning of a tradition that continues to this day.