Paris’ bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games jump-started its marketing campaign Tuesday with the launch of an innovative logo that will be used to represent France’s ambitions to host the Games. During an event in front of hundreds of spectators at the Arc de Triomphe at 20:24, Paris’ bid became the second city to present a campaign logo.
Earlier in the day the bid announced new partnerships with major sponsors.
“The new logo was designed to represent the city’s dynamism, radiance and openness,” as statement by the bid said.
“The logo is a modern interpretation of Paris’ most iconic symbol, the Eiffel Tower, that reflects the city’s rich and beautiful history whilst also conveying the positive sense of optimism, drive and ambition of this vibrant metropolis.”
“The Paris 2024 logo is also a representation of the number ‘24’ that serves a dual purpose – to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the last time Paris hosted the Games in 1924, through the emblem’s elegant design, and to highlight Paris’ focus on the future that is illustrated by the identity’s contemporary treatment.”
Paris has hosted the Games twice before, in 1900 and 1924.
Starting from February 10 the logo will be used on street decorations throughout the city including along the historic Champs Elysees.
The emblem also follows a new naming pattern that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) seems to be endorsing for this bid, the city name “Paris” stands alone in bold and the year is separated within the standard text below and above the ring logo: “Candidate City, Olympic Games 2024.” A logo released by Rome in December and another released from Hamburg after that bid withdrew in November follow the same new pattern. Budapest and Los Angeles have yet to reveal their campaign logos.
In past bids it has been common for logos to emphasize the city and year side-by-side in similarly bold text. The IOC is currently litigating to control city/year Internet domain name patterns to support the nomenclature the organization uses but is facing an uphill battle against numerous domains held by several registrants.
Paris’ Mayor Anne Hidalgo said “our Paris 2024 identity reflects that we are a city and nation on the move, a place that offers the world a warm welcome and a destination that can create a wonderful Olympic celebration in 2024.”
Paris 2024 Co-Chair Bernard Lapasset said “as we progress in our campaign to host the Games in 2024, it is wonderful to be here in the heart of the city with thousands of Parisians and people from all over to world to see our bid logo displayed on an iconic global landmark.”
Paris’ Dragon Rouge design agency was selected to design the logo following a tender process by the bid last year.
The release of the logo comes just a week ahead of the filing of the first set of bid documents and guarantees due into the International Olympic Committee (IOC) February 17. Along with submissions from rivals Budapest, Los Angeles and Rome, the documents will focus on topics surrounding vision, Games concept and strategy.
Also on February 17, Paris is set to launch it’s public-facing Website at Paris2024.org. Along with raising awareness and public support for the bid, the logo and Website will help in the campaign to further raise funds from private donors.
Paris has set a goal to raise (USD) $30 million from non-government sources as part of its entire $60 million budget and on Tuesday the bid announced the signing of four new major sponsors totalling 8 million euros in investments. The sponsors Caisse des Depots, Elior Group, JCDecaux and RATP have become part of a new corporate campaign launched last month that has already secured a $2 million sponsorship from national lottery company La Française des Jeux.
The IOC will elect the 2024 host city September 2017 in Lima, Peru.
