Can LA28 Live Up To Its Optimistic, New Branding?
2 weeks ago, LA28 revealed a first look at the branding for their Olympic Games, with a fun and interchangeable logo that nods to the many cultures of the city.
The logo itself is simple, with a chunky typeface and the famous olympic rings beneath. The playfulness comes with a set of 32 custom ‘A’s created by athletes, pop stars, actors and artists alike that showcase the “collection of voices” that LA is synonymous with. The design team enlisted the likes of Billy Eilish, Michael Johnson, Reece Witherspoon and Steven Harrington who each contributed a concept that epitomised LA to them. In a tweet revealing this branding LA28 said:
“We are a community of inspired individuals and fearless dreamers. It’s time we made our mark. #LA28 #LA28Creator”
In a year of cancellations and little optimism, the logo brings a playful taste of what is to come from the Los Angeles Games- a fun games, but more importantly, one that is open to all.
But amid the hype, LA28’s twitter feed has been filled with messages of disdain and opposition. “No more police in LA, no more displacement, no more surveillance and no more unhoused neighbours!! No more Olympics, stop destroying cities!!!!” reads one comment. “How are we supporting the homeless community? What about policing?” reads another. It seems that in a year where many societal issues have been put under the microscope, a faction of Angelenos see bringing the Olympic Games to the city, a tough pill to swallow.
The pandemic globally has seen the super rich increase their wealth incomprehensibly, while the poorest communities have been hit the hardest, with more exposure to the virus in lower level, public-facing jobs, and mass redundancies across the many industries.
Stories of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement are still making front pages. Only 2 days ago fans at a recent NFL game between Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans booed the players’ show of unity against widespread racism, shining a spotlight on how big the task of tackling discrimination is.
And the west coast of the US has seen landscapes synonymous with natural beauty, turned into dystopian panoramas thanks to wildfires fuelled by the climate crisis. Where we stand in September 2020, hosting the Olympics in 8 years time may well feel ill-timed, or at the very least it brushes many issues under the carpet.
But we’ve seen this before. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympics, brits were filled with pessimism. Particularly following Beijing 2008, which is widely considered as having a very successful legacy.
Britain was two years into an austerity programme brought in following the financial crisis of 2008, and cynicism, a fabled British trait, was rife amongst the public. But the Olympics looks to galvanise nations, bringing often needed infrastructure, jobs, tourism and national pride. And it did just that. The cast iron rings suspended above the stadium during the Opening Ceremony rained sparks that seemed to wash away any doubt or embarrassment. The country collectively began to think ‘We can do this! And we’re gonna do it well.’ We were gripped in two and half weeks of sporting celebration which inspired a legacy much more than just participation.
But 8 years on, the legacy has begun to wear off. A government study found that ‘while the Games provided an initial focus for new investment activity, it was short-lived and resulted in mainly just physical and economic gains’. A quick fix rather than a long-term societal revival. The study went on to conclude that these sorts of sporting events can create better infrastructure, sporting facilities, and short-term employment. But when it comes to the social transformation of their cities, eradicating poverty and reviving employment etc. there’s now good evidence to be skeptical.
So can LA be different? It’ll be following a Tokyo Summer Games hugely damaged by the pandemic. A world still recovering. LA28 has the chance to do what London 2012 did for the UK but learn from its shortcomings, and create meaningful change to a nation that needs uniting. Its adaptable logo and countless collaborators suggests an Olympics like no other. Where a hotpot of many rich cultures come together for the biggest party on the planet. But its legacy needs to go much further.
