The 2028 Olympic logo design is innovative and different from what has come before. Olympic Organizers aimed to reflect the diverse identities of Los Angeles through the 2028 Olympic logo. They recognized that a singular theme could not encapsulate the city’s essence, leading to an “ever-changing” emblem that could adapt and evolve over time. The logo uses variable data and is interesting to think about from a decorator’s perspective.

Variable Data

When I started with variable data on Hybrid printing, decorators told me it is hard enough to get one good piece of artwork, much less many. Variations on artwork is a challenge. A design concept like this customized logo and the many Olympic events anticipate small print runs and personalized pieces. The logo features a bold static component paired with a dynamic ‘A’ designed by various artists. This approach allows for many variations representing LA’s culture. The logo design is animated for multiple platforms, appealing to a modern audience.

Over 42 Variations

Over 42 unique logos are available for the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games today. This initiative includes contributions from various athletes, artists, and celebrities, showcasing the diversity of Los Angeles’ culture.  Thirty-five distinct logos were officially released in 2020 and additional designs releases are expected as the event approaches.

Creatives and athletes alike have contributed to the array of designs.

In recognition of Kobe in 2024, Vanessa Bryant said, “We designed this emblem in his honor. We hope this inspires the Mamba mentality in every aspiring Olympian and Paralympian. We’re so proud to see this emblem represent the Los Angeles games. I know Kobe would be so proud to host the games in this great city.”  

With the Kobe variation of the logo, the embellishment orders could be basketball products. Yet consumers may purchase other designs like Billie Eilish or Dr. Woo based on overall aesthetic or fandom. The Paris Olympics 2024 shop has 67 items available today in tee shirts and most contain one logo variation. A customized logo on that inventory would produce 2,814 variations of product offerings for 2028! It’s a daunting idea, but from this decorator’s perspective, this variation in product lends itself to digital or DTF application over screen print when the volumes stay low. It will be interesting to see how LA 2028 evolves as we approach the Olympics.

The current LA Olympic 2028 Shop has 60 T-shirt options and the online shop cycles designs through for a limited time.

Will we see more variations in branding like this? Will see more customized variations on a global scale? This concept creates unique short-run designs that are more sought after and valuable, which is usually a plus for decorator margins—as long as we remember to charge for them, right?