REYKJAVIK 2022
Introduction Reykjavik, Iceland is the quintessential winter scene out of Nordic fairy tale and serves as a hallmark of Nordic culture, natural beauty, and societal values. With steely blue seascapes, icy volcanic mountains, and dancing Northern Lights the natural geographical features of Reykjavik support its rich tradition in legend and lore. Common people take pride in their country’s Viking origins and there is a rich history of passing on regional cultural knowledge through the generations. Icelanders value the role of tradition as a motive force within their modern society and this social value emphasis has shaped their modern cultural values, of which Reykjavik is at the international center. Iceland’s cultural heritage and natural beauty are not the only links to the past that modern Icelanders have sought to maintain. The societal values of today’s Icelandic culture are well refined and support many valuable attributes to humankind. The very environment of Iceland, of which Reykjavik is a prime example, is beautiful but also very harsh. This difficult environment gave rise to a cultural emphasis on overcoming adversity, self-reliance, and seeking harmony. These cultural qualities are much to be envied by the rest of the world and serve as a great international cultural example that is right in line with the ideals of the Olympic organization.
Project Mission The mission of this design project is to create a graphical theme for the 2022 Winter Olympics as hosted by Reykjavik, Iceland that supports the region’s individual values as well as the international values of the Olympic games. The subjects of love, environmental harmony, and the importance of tradition are the central communicative objectives for this design. These messages are elegantly suited to the purposes of the design’s international application, are in harmony with the values of the Olympic organization as well as reflect the Reykjavík city motto, “Rekjavík Loves.”
Symbols Reykjavík is known for its beautiful mountains. One of the best known, and the tallest of these mountains is Mt. Esja. These mountains have served as a backdrop of Nordic legend and have become a symbol of the Icelandic spirit. For centuries the mountains have been a source of livelihood to Icelandic people and they represent a traditional Icelandic way of life in line with natural harmony. Runes are central to Icelandic art and folk belief. Runic inscriptions are popular today on an international scale and are a symbol of traditional folk religion and also a wonderful means of adding additional intrinsic meaning to the Olympic design.
The Aurora Borealis has been a source of wonder associated with Icleand for many centuries, and many tourists travel to Reykjavík every year to see the Northern Lights. They are a symbol of natural beauty highly specific to the Icelandic landscape and represent a link in the imagination of all of mankind for generations. Incorporating the Aurora Borealis into the Olympic design offers a beautiful opportunity to showcase a treasure of national and global natural beauty.
The magical staves of the Icelandic folk religion offer a lot in terms of design and meaning. They are a connection to the past and present culture of Iceland and are popular symbols internationally.The staves shown are (top to bottom) Vegvísir, which serves as a protection against getting lost, Veldismagn, for strength, and Vináttustafur, for friendship.
Typography The typeface for the ReykjavÃk Olympic Games is meant to maintain a clean, modern feel in line with the Nordic aesthetic found throughout the branding.
Futura Condensed Extra Bold ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890!@#$%^&*() Futura Medium ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890!@#$%^&*()
Color
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The color selection for the ReykjavĂk Winter Olympic Games is kept within the cool spectrum to remain in line with the theme of winter, ice, and snow. The greener shades are utilized in keeping with the Northern Lights spectacle of which Iceland is known for. # 0084ab
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Logo The logo features the general shape of the Reykjavík bind rune, incorporates diamonds from traditional lopapeysa sweater patterns, as well as draws on the Northern Lights theme. The Reykjavík bind rune was chosen as the theme of the design because it supports the project’s message and the city motto. The runes used in the design are Raido (travel), Nauthiz (protection), Algiz (patience), and Gebo (partnership) all of which add meaning and signficance to the logo. The visual above shows the overall theme of the bind rune design. The proposed “Reykjavík bind-rune” is pictured at the top, then the runes Raido, Nauthiz, Algiz, and Gebo are in the middle respectively. The bottom shows where each rune fits into the bind-rune’s design.
Pictograms Pictograms reflect the lopapeysa diamond motif. The lines are kept simple and informal to evoke a look akin to typical Viking carvings but with an aim to maintain a more modern look. Defined and balanced lines and shapes highlight visibility and maintain an understated style.
Pattern The custom pattern for the Reykjavík Olympic brand design features a variety of graphics that represent the associated cultural symbols supported by the research. The additional smaller, “stitched” looking designs are inspired by traditional lopapeysa sweater patterns.
“Reykjaík Loves” is the city motto, for this reason lopapeysa style hearts are included in the pattern.
The snowflakes in the pattern are actually Icelandic magical staves meaning “friendship.”
The triangle shapes represent the natural landscape around the city, which is known for its many volcanic mountains.
Signage These signage concepts serve as communication elements via the surrounding environment and seek to create a visual continuity that is easily recognizable as associated with Olympic information. The signs support and clarify the message “Reykjavík Loves” which is central to the branding. Each galdrastafir snowflake and runic letter carry a message of love, friendship, and well-wishing from the city of Reykjaík to the Olympic audience. This creates not only the look, but the feel of the environment and the tenor of interaction between the Olympics and all who attend the event.
Image courtesty of Ablimit Ablet at behance.net
Image courtesy of graphicgoogle.com
The signs found outside the Olympic Park feature a special Icelandic magical stave called VegvĂsir. This particular magical stave is a protective symbol to help travelers find their way when lost and through rough weather.
Image courtesy of freemockupzone.com
Image courtesy of psd.graphics
Image courtesy of Antonio Padilla at pixelbuddha.net
Merchandise The various merchandise concepts include various plays of the visual elements seen throughout the branding in attractive arrangments that seek to retain symbolic meaning.In some cases, simply the logo design is displayed due to its desirability in the consumer market as a potential collector’s item. The demand for merchandise with prominent logo displays are exemplified by how consumers interact with past Olympic merchandise.
Image courtesy of Victor Ketom at behance.net
Reykjavík Loves The ulitmate goal of the Reykjavík Olympic identity is to support the principles of the Olympic Foundation in a way that characterizes the city. Reykjavík’s city motto, “Reykjavík Loves” captures the Icelandic spirit and creates a hospitable atmosphere for the Olympic Games. The various design elements have sought to support this idea through visuals associated with Icelandic qualities such as a love of heritage, tradition, and the stunning natural beauty Iceland is known for. Furthermore, the Reykjavík Winter Olympic designs carry the unique, yet inter-culturally relatable, message of goodwill, safety, love, and friendship to all the guests of the Reykjavík Winter Olympic games.