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The Olympic BrandThroughout the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the sight of excited fans taking photos next to the Olympic rings at venues throughout the city was a clear demonstration of the enduring appeal of this powerful symbol.Designed in 1912 by Pierre de Coubertin – the founder of the modern Olympic Movement – the Olympic rings are the visual representation of the philosophy of Olympism, which aims to demonstrate how sport can contribute to building a better world. This concept is powerfully conveyed to a huge global audience during each edition of the Olympic Games, when athletes from around the world embody the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect as they compete under the Olympic symbol. With these emotive values at its core, the Olympic symbol is able to transcend sport, resonating strongly with people of all ages and cultures and becoming one of the most widely-recognised symbols in the world.Independent research commissioned by the IOC in the summer of 2016 demonstrated that awareness of the Olympic rings remains very high with nine out of 10 people globally able to correctly identify the iconic symbol. The Olympic rings outperform other key global brands measured across a range of attributes, including “Global”, “Inspirational”, “Excellence”, “Friendship”, “Optimistic” and “Inclusive”. The Olympic Games also had the highest awareness and appeal among all sports and entertainment events measured in the survey, with 93% awareness level and an appeal rating of 7.4 out of 10. The association of the Olympic Games with terms such as “excellence”, “friendship”, “respect”, as well as “diversity”, “inspirational”, “unity”, “universal” and “youthful”, has also increased since London 2012. Moreover, the Olympic Games Rio 2016 continued to appeal to a wide and demographically balanced audience, while 74% of respondents believed that the Olympic Games contribute to building a better world though sport, and 74% said the Olympic Games have an important role in today’s society.“The Olympic Games give us all hope that a better world is possible.”Thomas Bach, IOC President9 OUT OF 10People globally can correctly identify the Olympic rings74%Of people believe that the Olympic Games contribute to building a better world through sport74%Of people say the Olympic Games have an important role in today’s societyTHE OLYMPIC BRAND121