Publicis Seattle was recently tasked with creating the logo for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando. Instead of creating the design logo in-house, Publicis Seattle had the brilliant idea to enlist the help of some of the Special Olympics Athletes. Publicis Seattle, together with the Special Olympics USA Games Organizing Committee worked with nine artistic and talented Special Olympians to create the logo.
Special Olympics Enlists Its Athletes to Help Design 2022 USA Games Logo
Working with the Olympians will be a first in the organization’s 50-year history. According to the team that worked on the creation of the logo, the logo was inspired and designed by Special Olympics athletes. To create the logo, the Athletes from across the country came together for a three-day workshop in Orlando. The athletes worked with professional designers from Publicis Seattle. They provided the vision and primary colour palette that explodes with life for the Logo.
The final design for the logo represents the natural elements of Florida culminating in a fiery spark of the Special Olympics spirit.
More Details about the Development of the Logo
The development of the logo was documented and a mini-documentary was made. It was made by Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi. She is best known for her 2018 Academy Award-winning documentary short “Period. End of Sentence”. The mini-documentary shows the joy and talent the designer-athletes brought to the table. It also shows how a combination of their designs went into the final product. According to the team involved with the logo creation, this approach for designing the logo served as the perfect platform to unlock the creativity and confidence of the Special Olympics athletes.
The Team Speaks on Developing the Logo
Special Olympics athlete Lee Savage spoke about working on creating the logo. He stated that it was a huge honour to be part of the team. He talked about how it was really important to the athletes because the Special Olympics is such an important part of their lives. Savage spoke about how proud the team is of the logo and how they hope it can be an inspiration to society.
Joe Dzaluk, president and chief executive of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games also spoke about the logo. He talked about how the logo tells a story. It tells a story of how a combined passion for sports, perseverance and art can literally come to life on a blank canvas. He talked about how the athletes used their unique talents to inspire and design an iconic image for the brand. He also stated that the end product proved to be more meaningful than anyone could have ever imagined.
Pete Kearney, executive creative director, Publicis Seattle also made a statement. He stated that they always felt this was never his agency’s logo to create. They always believed it was for the athletes to create. He talked about how they embraced that idea and empowered the talent, vision and passion of the spirited artists.
