MONDAY 24 JUN 2013 1:54 PM

WINTRY WHITESPACE

Following a Greek-inspired typeface and a menagerie of colourful imagery at the London Olympics, a bursting, joyful identity for Rio and a mother country-meets-the-new-millennium geometrical approach to Sochi, it’s back to basics for PyeongChang 2018.

The 2018 Winter Olympics, to be held in PyeongChang, South Korea, debuted an identity vaguely reminiscent of the primary-coloured logos of Games past. The logo includes references to the Korean alphabet, Hangul and Korea’s humanist beliefs as well as the traditional nod to wintry elements that proliferates in Winter Games logos.

The central identity is supported by representations of the individual sports in the same five-coloured line-drawn style. Designed by Cheil Worldwide and Jong-Joo Ha, a respected Korean designer, the brand, though quite pared down, is modern, warm and fun. It also differs from the more standard thick-brushtroked swoosh of the city's candidacy bid.

“I would like to congratulate the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee on the launch of its innovative new emblem. As an athlete, part of the excitement of participating in the Games is discovering the culture and traditions of the host country, and for the PyeongChang Games that discovery begins with this new identity,” IOC president Jaques Rogge says. “Combining elements of the Korean alphabet and oriental philosophy, this new brand will allow people to immediately connect with Korea and the 2018 Games vision of New Horizons. I wish PyeongChang 2018 a great deal of success in sharing this new emblem with the world.”

The branding has five years in which to develop, but the initial treatment of publications, wayfinding and collateral exhibits a cheery, active approach to the Winter Games.

The IOC has been consistently pleased with PyeongChang's bid and progress since 2011, of which the branding is noted as being the most recent development.