LA 2028 Delivers Digital Era Logo

(ATR) Anyone can design their own logo for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and Paralympics in an upending of design and copyright norms.

A series of 26 official logos for the Games have been released, the first in a series of variations that will probably stretch into the thousands or more. Only the logo’s L and numbers two and eight are fixed. But the "A" is a dynamic symbol with organizers expecting people to use the A create their own logo.

"Because there’s not one way to represent LA we want to make sure right of the bat, the LA28 emblem captures the infinite storytelling possibilities through a collective of voices," LA 2028 chair Casey Wasserman explained in a briefing ahead of the logo launch .

Capitalizing on the appeal of Tinsel Town, a range of Olympians and celebrities including Allyson Felix, Michael Johnson, Billie Eilish and Reese Witherspoon are part of the initial launch of self-designed logos.

Wasserman called on "A-creators" not just in Los Angeles to create their own logos based on "what has driven their Olympic experience or Paralympic experience or LA experience or what drives their dreams.

"We want them to sharethem with their communities," he invited.

Wasserman says the logo and its variations signal a new approach to branding for an Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"This is not about the old days of creating our logo and pushing it on the world. I think the days of command and control are over," Wasserman said.

"The days of creation and co-creation are upon us. That’s going to require us and maybe a little bit less us and more the Olympic Movement to move a little bit out of our comfort zone," he said.

LA28 will still copyright their official logos and will utilize certain logos for different purposes in the eight-year lead-up to the Games but Wasserman said they will not necessarily pursue copyright protection efforts.

"We don’t need to protect all As," he says.

"There are lots of plans in place for the next eight years. This is the beginning of the journey and will clearly continue and evolve over the next eight years."

Los Angeles 2028 was selected to host the Games in an unprecedented move by the IOC in 2017 when it selected Paris as the 2024 host and LA for 2028.

The new logo is an example of LA28’s desire to do things differently in its third time to host the Games. Still to come is the selection of a mascot. While Wasserman paid tribute to 1984 LA mascot Sam the Eagle, mascot for the Olympics he attended as a youngster, he promised innovation when it comes time for a 2028 mascot.

"We’ll come up with equally as fun and dynamic mascot as possible," Wasserman said.

Edited by Ed Hula.