Background

For the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the host city is required to have a "Look of the Games", which is the key design that functions as the visual identity throughout the Games. The "Look of the Games" should reflect and express the characteristics, culture, and history of the host city/country. It is also essential to have a versatile design and system of delivery that can withstand the various uses and display formats, including in competition venues, the approach to the venues, the dressing of the city, the sport equipment, and various guidebooks and licensing products.

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

With a representation of Japanese culture and traditions in mind, the development of the Tokyo 2020 Look of the Games was inspired by a Japanese colour scheme based on overlapping fabric layers. Known as "Kasane no irome", this design arrangement has been present in traditional Japanese attire, particularly on the juni-hitoe (a twelve-layered ceremonial kimono). For the development of the sport pictograms, we focused on the pictograms used in the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games. During those Games, sport pictograms were implemented for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games. Respecting that history, we followed the basic design, but also improved upon it to further express the dynamism of the athletes.

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

This key design was then combined with the traditional and contemporary art of Japan and Tokyo, as well as manga (Japanese comic books), also a form of contemporary culture, to create a variety of graphics for varying locations. This design system had not been seen in the "Look of the Games" within any of the previous Games, and is one of the distinguishing features of the Tokyo 2020 Look of the Games. Furthermore, as a unique addition for the Tokyo 2020 Games, we took on the challenge of developing animated sport pictograms that would have all 50 Olympic and 23 Paralympic sport pictograms move dynamically. This was the first time in the history in the Olympic and Paralympic Games that sport pictograms were used in this way, following the footsteps of the historical first use of the sport pictograms in 1964 in Tokyo.

List the results (20% of vote)

Tokyo 2020's Look of the Games not only created a festive atmosphere in the Olympic and Paralympic competition venues, but also successfully did so for the all the host cities.The number of designs created using the Look of the Game exceeded the tens of thousands. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, which unfortunately were held without spectators and their cheers at almost all the venues due to　Covid-19 issues, Japanese onomatopoeia popularized in the manga comics were used. The stylized Japanese text was designed to visually simulate the noises of the crowds and helped to inspire the athletes in venues and arouse the excitement of viewers on TV and social media. The Tokyo 2020 designs, while respecting the designs that Japan/Tokyo had created in the past, injected in them a new energy, and even without the presence of spectators won the appreciation of people in Japan and all over the world.