It’s been a big day in the world of logos: First, Google revealed its brand new, sans serif emblem. Meanwhile, the scandal-stricken icon for Tokyo’s 2020 Summer Olympics was officially killed today following plagiarism allegations. Fortunately, the Internet has already had some replacements in mind.
Not long after designer Kenjiro Saro’s logo was revealed last June as the Games’ official emblem, he was accused of stealing the idea from designer Olivier Debie. Debie created the logo for a theater in Belgium called Théâtre de Liege. Here’s what the two look like, side by side:
What do you think? Apparently, the Olympic Committee thought it was too controversial to remain the face of the Games, so down it goes. Sano, who agreed to the removal and won’t get paid for the work, the Japan Times reports, contends that he didn’t steal the idea. The icon was already being widely distributed on official Olympics materials, but now a competition will be held to pick a new design.
The fracas is the second embarrassing one for the Tokyo Olympics, and the event is still five years away. Earlier this year, plans to build the outrageously expensive Olympic Stadium were scrapped after the $2.1 billion price tag became too prohibitive. (It also followed the city demolishing the historic stadium from the 1964 Summer Games.)
The former logo left some fans cold in the first place, though. So the Twitterverse was already prepared to suggest plenty of alternatives.
This one, from Twitter user vivakankan, was a huge hit online:
The Internet also responded to this beautiful one, which is reminiscent of sakura blossoms or Japanese family crests, from Twitter user umegrafix:
And to be honest, I’m really digging this one as well. It was used as the city’s Olympic logo during the application process, and now seems to be holding a temporary position, but I’m down with making it official:
What do you guys think?
[The Japan Times and RocketNews24]
Top image: Getty, Bottom image: Twitter