The branding for the 2024 Olympics has sparked much conversation. While it is clear that the Paris 2024 brand has yet to hit all the right notes, there are valuable insights to gain and significant opportunities for enhancement. The branding journey is often complex, influenced by committee decisions, budget constraints, and differing visions. While some elements of the Paris 2024 Olympics branding may only resonate with some, there is value in exploring why these choices may have fallen short and how they could be improved. This exploration also reveals the significant potential for the Paris 2024 branding to evolve into a more resonant and cohesive representation of the games, invoking a more unifying sense of optimism and hope.

Paris, a city steeped in artistic heritage, offers a wealth of inspiration for typographic design. The typeface chosen for the Paris 2024 logo attempts to blend tradition with modernity, but the execution needs to be more cohesive. The uppercase characters have a unique style, yet the lowercase "i" and the capital "S" don't seem to harmonize with the rest of the text. The numerals in "2024" further contribute to this inconsistency, with the zero standing out in a way that disrupts the overall flow. A more cohesive approach to the typeface could better capture the spirit of Paris while clearly tying into the established brand ideals of the games. 

The logo icon for Paris 2024 takes an interesting approach with its design, featuring a gold ring, a flame, and a stylized representation of feminine lips. While the intention to create a distinct and memorable symbol is commendable, the execution is rudimentary at best. The icon's geometric balance is off, and the mark leaves little to the imagination. Additionally, incorporating femininity into the design is an exciting choice. Still, ensuring that the symbolism aligns with the contemporary inclusive and diverse nature of femininity, the Olympics, and ALL its athletes is essential. A more balanced and universally resonant icon that considers and includes all aspects of the Olympic spirit could strengthen the brand's appeal and make the audience feel more unified and considered.

Paris 2024 has introduced a mascot with a story and identity, a decision that adds an element of fun and engagement to the brand. However, the mascot's design has sparked some unintended interpretations. It is clear that the branding team responsible for the 2024 Olympics failed to consider the public's perception of the mascot. The solution for this faux pas would have been to take a more human approach to brand development, consider the target market, and create a mascot whose identity creates global clarity instead of adding to the confusion. This approach would have made the audience feel more understood and connected to the brand. 

Pictograms are vital in Olympic branding, offering visual cues that guide and inform audiences. The Paris 2024 pictograms are cohesive as a set. Still, they could benefit from more substantial alignment with the brand identity. Clear, intuitive design rules help ensure the pictograms are easily recognizable and functional, enhancing the viewer's experience and aiding in effective wayfinding. The design team's primary design objective should have been to create clarity and cohesion that any culture in the world would understand.

The Paris 2024 logo has seen several interactions, from the dynamic candidate city logo to the current design. For all the reasons above, major U.S. networks seem to have developed their own branding to promote the games. Even within the venues, "Paris 2024" can be displayed in precise moments of brand misuse. NBC's decision to create an alternative logo, for example, suggests they, too, noticed the brand blunder that the Paris 2024 Olympics planned to roll out and instead created a substitute brand that would better resonate with their U.S. and global audiences. For the Paris 2024 Olympic Brand, the logo itself proved to be a mistake that caused a disconnection domino effect around the world.

The Paris 2024 Olympic identity teaches so many lessons in branding, the most valuable being that without a comprehensive human-centered brand strategy, it's easy to fall short. When developing a global brand, it is essential to have thoughtful conversations with branding experts who understand global cultural dynamics and how to communicate visually inclusively and cohesively. With the budget of the Paris Olympics cashing out at 9.7 billion euros, one can assume that someone was grossly overpaid for brand support or the planning committee spent all of the branding budgets cleaning out the Seine. In the future, the games should pay closer attention to how brand identities are developed to ensure mistakes like these don't impact the viewership and resonance for future generations.