Leading agency chosen to design new Games logo

Wolff Olins was chosen through a competitive tendering process between a number of the UK's leading brand and design agencies. Their challenge will be to refine the brand positioning for the London 2012 Games and develop a Games emblem and associated corporate identity.

Sir Keith Mills, Deputy Chairman of LOCOG said: "The logo and brand identity of the London Games is hugely important. It is the emblem that everyone will identify with and will be used to promote the Games. It needs to be visually attractive, strong and inspirational and must be an effective tool for us to use, to raise sponsorship to help fund the Games".

The first stage in the design process involves a brand positioning exercise, looking at all the design requirements for the build up to the Games. The agency will then develop the Games emblem itself, giving consideration to how this emblem the identifying symbol of the London Games will work in a variety of different settings.

It will have a huge variety of usages at sporting competition venues across the UK, dressing across the city of London and other cities where events are being held, on merchandising and sponsor programmes, on vehicles and uniforms and more.

Commenting on their appointment, Phil Beard, Marketing and Sponsorship Director of LOCOG added: "We are looking forward to working with Wolff Olins. They are the world's most prestigious branding agency and in their pitch to us they demonstrated an excellent understanding of London and of the Olympic movement. They have the very best creative talent and we are confident they will develop an inspiring, highly visual new brand identity for the London 2012 Games".

On learning they had been chosen to work on developing the brand identity of the London Games, Brian Boylan, Chairman of Wolff Olins said: "We are delighted it is every consultancy's dream project one of the most prestigious we have ever been awarded. We will match LOCOG's huge ambition and plans for these Games, producing a truly inspirational brand which gets into the bloodstream of the nation and creates the new benchmark for Olympic branding".

LOCOG is working closely with the Mayor and his agencies and also with Visit London, to ensure collaboration in terms of maintaining the enormous momentum there currently is behind the Games.

Visit London's Chief Executive, James Bidwell, who sits on LOCOG's Branding Committee, said: "Visit London is leading the global promotion of the city, helping to maintain the enormous momentum the city has at the moment. This appointment is a good opportunity to keep that momentum going, by aligning the Games to the brand values of London and maximising the impact of LOCOG's strategy. We look forward to working with Wolff Olins and LOCOG to develop a highly creative identity for what will be the greatest Games in the world's greatest city".

The London 2012 logo will be launched later in 2006 or early 2007. It will be in use more prominently after the Beijing Games in 2008 and will be used extensively in the run up to and the period of, the Games themselves.

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Notes to Editors:

For further information, please contact the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100 or visit www.london2012.com