City must scrap Olympic logo

Chicago’s Olympic torch has been snuffed out by the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC has ordered Chicago to redesign its 2016 Olympic logo and leave out the torch, which was tailor-made to capture the city’s three major assets: Lake Michigan, the parks and the breathtaking skyline.

The edict was included in IOC rules published Wednesday to govern the 2016 selection process. It states that candidate city logos “shall not contain the Olympic symbol, the Olympic motto, the Olympic flag, any other Olympic-related imagery [such as] flame, torch, medal, etc.”

The bottom line is that Chicago’s logo must be trashed in favor of a new one. Whatever billboards, T-shirts and stationery that are still left over bearing that symbol will be deep-sixed as well.

“The IOC is always doing what they feel is best to protect and advance the Olympic movement. Our goals are the same. We don’t see this as a setback. We understand the ruling. We’re happy to move forward with a new logo in the international stage,” said Chicago 2016 spokesman Patrick Sandusky.

“Our logo was fantastic for the domestic phase. It talked about our lake, our skyline, and our parks. We still could have that in our new logo. We just have to spend time thinking about what the best logo would be [going forward]. We’re confident that we’ll have just as fantastic a logo for the international phase.”

Dana Arnett, a principal with Chicago-based VSA Partners who helped design the logo pro bono, could not be reached for comment on the IOC ruling.

On the day the logo was unveiled at Millennium Park, Arnett said he was trying to create a “memorable symbol the city can rally around” that inspires people to “get on the bandwagon.”

“We call it the beacon….It has the look of a torch, but we feel that the city and all it stands for is a beacon for international attention,” Arnett said.

“The coming together of the lakefront, green space and architecture was a natural inspiration…We also took inspirational color cues from the Olympic color pallet, the rings. The tricky part is you can’t use the rings at this stage.”

Another VSA principal, Jamie Koval, said, “The plan is to host the games in the heart of Chicago. [The logo] is really meant to represent the water, the green space and this beautiful city.”

The logo was unveiled by Mayor Daley and Chicago 2016 Chairman Pat Ryan on the stage of the Pritzker Pavilion with the Olympic theme song playing in the background.

The red-to-orange-to-gold flame of the torch was an amalgam of the Chicago skyline with the Sears Tower in the middle. It reflected Chicago’s world-renowned architecture and what Daley called the “great energy” of a city that rose from the ashes of the 1871 Chicago Fire.

The blue-to-green handle reflected Lake Michigan and Chicago’s park system, including Millennium Park, a magnet for tourists. The handle underscored the city’s commitment to the environment.

The entire logo reflected Chicago’s commitment to host what Ryan calls a “compact and central” Olympic games focused on the “athlete experience.”

“Our plan takes advantage of our lakefront, our parks, our neighborhoods and, of course, our passion for sports. The logo that we have developed represents all of that,” Ryan said.

Daley said he expected the logo to start “showing up all around” Chicago.

“There’s a great deal more work to be done. There’s no guarantee of success. But I know that this new logo is an important step in the process. It does an excellent job of connecting Chicago with the Olympic movement,” he said.

Now, it’s back to the drawing board.