Designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby won a competitive tender launched last year by LOCOG and the Design Council to create the Torch, along with the celebration cauldrons to be used at the lunchtime stops and evening celebrations during the Olympic Torch Relay. The Olympic Torch Relay is presented by Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung.

The designers are based in Shoreditch in the London Borough of Hackney, less than four miles from the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. The Olympic Torch Relay will conclude on evening of 27 July 2012, with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron to open the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG said:  ‘The Olympic Flame will literally shine a light on inspiring people, places and 2012 Games projects and programmes right across the UK as communities begin their Olympic celebrations with the Torch Relay. 95% of the UK population will be within a one hour journey time of the Olympic Torch Relay and we are now developing the Torch which will be one of the key visual icons of the London Olympic Games.’

The designers are also working on design aspects for the Paralympic Torch Relay that will take place between the close of the Olympic Games and the start of the Paralympic Games in August 2012.

The Olympic Torch, expected to be unveiled in June 2011, will carry the Olympic Flame and take the 2012 Games to people’s doorsteps, showcasing the best of the UK - from dynamic urban areas to places of outstanding natural beauty and sporting and cultural landmarks. Throughout its journey around the UK, the Olympic Torch Relay will visit different communities and connect people to the Olympic Games, its heroes and its spirit.

David Kester, Chief Executive of the Design Council said: ‘Arguably this is one of the most visible design briefs in the world – literally billions of eyes will be on the Olympic Flame in 2012. I am delighted that Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have won this commission and wish them well as standard bearers for UK design.’

The three Presenting Partners of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay -
Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung - will help bring the Olympic Flame to the people of the UK.  Together they provide an optimum mix of Olympic Torch Relay expertise and community based programmes to support the staging of the Relay.


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For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100 or visit the website at www.london2012.com Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on our blog http://blog.london2012.com or follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/london2012 

Notes to editors: 
History and rituals of the Olympic Torch Relay:
The origins of the Olympic Torch can be traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece, where messengers were sent out from Olympia to cities, announcing the dates of competitions. They invited citizens to come to Olympia and compete – proclaiming a sacred truce – where all combats would halt one month before and during the period of the Games.
The modern flame is lit in Olympia, Greece, from the sun’s rays using a parabolic mirror in a traditional ceremony.  A high priestess passes the flame to the first torch bearer and there is then a short Torch Relay around Greece, the route of which is determined by the Hellenic Olympic Committee and lasts approximately five days.
At the end of the Greek Relay in May 2012, there will be a retrieval ceremony at the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens.  At this moment, the Olympic flame officially passes to London 2012 and is brought directly to the UK for the start of the relay.  Steeped in such history the Olympic flame represents more than London 2012: it symbolises peace, Games of centuries past, the competitors and winners, and epitomises the incredible achievements of Olympians.  The arrival of the torch in the UK represents a call to athletes of the world that the Olympic Games is coming:  it is time to get together and compete.

Barber Osgerby:
Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby founded their eponymous industrial design studio in 1996 after graduating from the Royal College of Art in London. Barber and Osgerby’s research-led practice has developed projects for Vitra, Cappellini, Swarovski and Flos, whilst also producing edition and one-off works for both private and public commissions. Both professors of design, Barber and Osgerby won the Jerwood Prize in 2004 and were awarded the distinction of Royal Designers for Industry (RDI) by the Royal Society of Arts in 2007. Their work is held in many permanent collections around the world including the V&A Museum, London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
www.barberosgerby.com

The Olympic Torch Relay Team:
Coca-Cola has a proud heritage of involvement in Olympic Torch Relays. Coca-Cola has supported ten Olympic Torch Relays and the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay will be the company's eighth as a Presenting Partner. Coca-Cola's ambition for the London 2012 Torch Relay is to intensify excitement and anticipation for the 2012 Olympic Games by shining a light on the best of British youth and encouraging people to get involved in their local communities.

As the only National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Lloyds TSB will be taking the spirit and inspiration of the Olympic Flame right to the heart of communities across the UK.  As part of Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of Scotland will be the National Presenting Partner in Scotland. We will bring the Relay closer to our customers through our branches on practically every high street and our activities in the community, National School Sport Week and Local Heroes.  Customers can be the first to hear about exclusive offers, including how they can have the chance to carry the Olympic Flame, through our customer-exclusive programme, Trackside. Find out more at www.lloydstsb.com/london2012

Samsung looks forward to recommencing its Presenting Partnership of the Olympic Torch Relay by providing citizens from the UK and around the world the opportunity to share the dynamic experiences of the London Olympic Games. For Athens 2004, under the theme of “Share the Experience,” Samsung was one of two Presenting Partners of the first ever global Olympic Torch Relay. For Torino 2006, Samsung provided a once-in-a-lifetime chance to run with the Olympic Flame to more than 1,900 people around the world in Italy. And as one of three Presenting Partners of the Beijing 2008 OTR, 1,500 Samsung torchbearers carried the flame for the International Torch Relay. For the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay in particular, Samsung aims to leverage its role as a Presenting Partner to highlight its passion for youth and the future and encourage participants to join together in creating a memorable and inspirational journey.

As it heads towards its £2bn budget for staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games, LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now twenty one domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, GSK, Gymnova, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, Next, The Nielsen Company, Populous, Technogym, Ticketmaster and Trident.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games Partner - Sainsbury’s and one domestic Tier Three Supplier and Provider – Otto Bock.

The Worldwide Olympic Partners signed up for London 2012 are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos Origin, Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.