Chicagoist: Faster, Higher, Stronger, Less Torchy

Charles Steven

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 01:22:02 -0600

A little education on the process will help everyone out. Once Chicago was picked to represent USA for the privledge to host the Games, it was labled an Applicant City. Every other city in the hunt is also called an Applicant City, and they must brand themselves that way. In the next two years, there will be three or four cities peeled off for various reasons, and if Chicago remains in the race, it will then be labled a Candidate City. According to IOC rules, only candidate cities (or ultimately host cities) are allowed to use Olympic imagery, like the torch or the rings. So don't be surprised to see a return to the torch logo that so many people loved. Right now, Chicago is simply following the IOC rules, and it must prove itself to the IOC in many more ways than a simple, subjective brand symbol. Infrastructure, housing, security, economic viability, etc., are far more pressing issues at hand.

E

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:35:50 -0600

The logo is alright, but I think that the green part at the bottom really needs a Children's Museum.

Tankboy

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:19:40 -0600

Old logo is here.

Rachelle Bowden

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:53:16 -0600

you shouldnt have to watch a video to understand a logo, you should just "get it" when you look at it.. that what bothers me about the design.

trixyone

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:29:18 -0600

Definitely not as soul stirring, but what can you do? Why "Applicant City"? Could they not keep "Stir the Soul"? And, what happens when Chicago wins the bid? Can we go back to the torchy one?

guest

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:30:52 -0600

This renminds me of my childhood, when my home state of Kentucky had a really neat graphic of running horses on its license plate and as state symbol in other locations. Then some phtographer sued, saying the logo copied a photograph he'd taken, and despite the fact that the logo was an artistic line-drawing of horse in silhouette that looked nothing like the photo, the photographer won. The state had to change its license plates and wound up first with a horrendous plate with a strange cloud pattern, then a color monstrocity with a smiling Teletubby sun. The problem, though, was that the horses were so well-done, nothing would ever come close to matching it. Everything in comparison was lacking. That's what we have here. I wonder how we would have reacted to this star logo had we never seen the torch.

guest

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:23:33 -0600

"Anyone got a link to view the old logo?" http://sumagency.com/blog/uploads/2016-chicago-olympics-logo.gif

doppler

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:00:11 -0600

Vote for. I think the strong lines are outstanding.

guest

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 07:59:18 -0600

Blah..... I think that was the Denver Nuggets uniform in 1978

arh

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 07:58:58 -0600

i like it. its symbols are explained well if you watch the video. it's definitely better than london 2012's logo. it looks like colors threw up!

goneatseven

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 07:34:53 -0600

Anyone got a link to view the old logo?

skywater

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:15:04 -0600

Boring, but what were they going to do? They had a classy logo they had to pull and replace immediately. Can't help but do a hash in that circumstance.

dj_skilz

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:10:24 -0600

I really think they need to put a better foot forward. This logo is very generic, and lost the individuality that the other one carried. If you want to watch a video surrounding the new logo you can check it out here

sumsinnow

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:52:33 -0600

okay, I know you said less torchy, but still, It popped out at me straight away..

sumsinnow

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:41:57 -0600

It reminds me from something outa Battlestar Galactica, circa 1978. And something else too, it's still torchy. How could you not infer from the orange bars the flame flicker?

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:40:19 -0600

i thinks its not bad...pretty classy. at least its not london. nothing will be as good as the torch, but this is just a logo for the application stage anyway. should chicago win they could conceivably go back to the old one.

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:09:18 -0600

which one represents fucking up entire neighborhoods for the shameless pursuit of profit and notoriety by a corrupt mayor?

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:30:07 -0600

mmmmm. wine.

Patrick McDonough

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:47:26 -0600

I think this is a great idea, it reminds me of the Star of David. This might not "Stir the Soul", but Mayor Daley does not "Stir my Soul". Who gets a cut of the new Tee shirts?

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:19:23 -0600

I'm usually at the top of Chicagoist's guest list condemning the crap we've been finding here recently, but I have to say this article is exactly what this site should be doing. It's a short little blip offering information related to a topic that will affect all of us profoundly for at least the next two years while adding just that little hint of cynical snark web people like so much. All you whiners should save it for the craptastic posts you know are on their way. As for the logo, yeah, it's lacking, but I say that mostly because I'm comparing it to the original, which I absolutely loved. I think the symbolism is heavy-handed and, to echo Laura, the six-point star carries a certain baggage we might not want. (Depends on how much influence the Euopean antisemitic crowd has on the IOC.) But all in all, I think it's the best we could expect. You can't expect graphic lightning to strike twice, I'm afraid.

Mo

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:05:41 -0600

I can't tell if y'all are joking or not about Antarctica and Australia being the missing continents. Australia is a ring (Oceana), but Antarctica is left out and the Americas are one ring. Isn't it weird how other countries teach different numbers of continents? I think the logo is just a little bit boring.

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:48:21 -0600

as a graphic designer, i can tell you that impressive logos are tough to come up with generally. olympics logos, which carry the burden of conveying every possible olympic virtue/emotion/etc. and the personality of the applicant/host city? especially so. tough assignment. as such, i like this logo - i'm glad they kept the overall aesthetic of the last one, which i loved. i hope the old logo returns when we're awarded the 2016 games. good design is an important personality trait of our city. now if we could just fix the cta.....

JuliaPorter

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:28:34 -0600

I like it, though I agree w/the comments about losing the skyline. I thought that was a cool feature.

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:20:35 -0600

Guest #3 here. I was not whining, pardon my previous typo, I was offering constructive criticism. "No point for corruption? What gives?" A little more whiney than requesting a skyline motif in the logo, like the old one had. I would design one but my artistic skills are not impressive. But my corruption skills are off the charts having been born and raised in Chitown (I am a local who loves that term, even though some people here seem to claim only non-locals use it, not so). I just did not find it necessary to bring up corruption when discussing an Olympics logo. But my comment was directly related to the design, Navin, seems pretty relevant to me.

Laura Oppenheimer

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:13:55 -0600

Harsh, TB, way harsh. If you want Antarctica and Australia represented in the Olympic rings, take it up with the IOC, not with me. That being said, the Australians always send some attractive swimmers...

mindylou

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:01:33 -0600

i think it's classy.

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:59:11 -0600

I agree, what a pointless post. I do think that the top of the logo nicely reflects the modernist style that brought Chicago so many accolades in the previous century. I like the logo. If anyone can point me to a better 2016 logo, please do.

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:55:38 -0600

tank come on, antartica and australia never send anybody anyway guest 3-- i see what you mean about the orange yellow. w/out reference to the torch, it could have been an interesting metalic look to connote our architecture, as it is if I'm asked to think of architecture, then I think of the frickin CNA building with this logo

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:50:44 -0600

I bet they'll bring the torch logo back if we become host city. although i like this logo.

jay

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:48:08 -0600

We went from "Stir The Soul" to "Applicant City"??? Gotta do better than that.

Navin

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:47:20 -0600

My one complaint is that the orange yellow part does not reflect the skyline anymore Hey quit wining and take your own advice: Praise the entire logo, move or make one yourself.

Tankboy

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:42:39 -0600

And Laura, um, aren't there 7 continents?

Tankboy

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:41:50 -0600

I totally think the Gay Games should snag it. Oh wait, their art directors probably have taste, so I guess it won't work for them either.

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:37:02 -0600

I like it. My one complaint is that the orange yellow part does not reflect the skyline anymore. I think they could accomplish that without it being too "torchy" As for the knock on the corruption point of the star, keep it to yourself. Go out and change the corruption if you want. Don't wine about it in a post about the Olympic bid. We like the stars on our flag and what they represent. And we like our corruption and how it gets things done in our city. Always have always will, dont like it? Move or run for office yourself.

Laura Oppenheimer

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:36:35 -0600

I had a really rough time with the star. I know (now) the star echoes the star on Chicago's flag, but I always associate the Olympics with the number five: five continents, five Olympic rings... This also, to me, has a lot of cross imagery in it, probably unintentional, but I still see it.

guest

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:34:54 -0600

Lemme tell you--it is about ten times better than London's logo.