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A lesson in branding from your specialist in small business graphic design

The Olympics is over and what an event it turned out to be. It was great to see the sights and splendor of London under the spotlight of the world. But what the Olympics really showed us apart from the ultimate human sporting achievements was a master course in branding. I heard a lot of people coming out and slamming the Olympic logo, but I am a bit bemused by what they are talking about. Personally I think the London logo was a triumph. It showed what the London Olympics set out to do, be a new, modern and trend setting games. But where I was most impressed by the games was the use of their branding throughout the competition.

The London Olympic colours were Pink, Purple and Navy Blue and these were used to give spectacular effect throughout the stadium. The choice of Pink as the Olympics main colour was a great choice and no matter where it appeared it really stood out. It needed to be a bright colour to stand out against the sometimes dull backdrop of the city streets, and tinted with purple and blue it made for a spectacular colour palette for the 2012 games.

Any company that watched the Olympics should take note. Your branding is a very important consideration when you are designing your corporate look and feel. The beauty of how the colours were used in London was that they used the colours where appropriate, not everywhere. For example the floors of all the indoor stadia were covered while out on the marathon track it was used sparingly but to good effect by selecting main points along the track. Any enterprise can learn from this by using their own branding in the same way.

You should always have your main branding visible on anything that you or your company send out, be it a brochure or on your email signature, but using this cleverly is the key. Don't over do it, if your logo is blue, everything does not need to follow suit. Use colours that compliment your core colour. This is where a good graphic designer will earn those dollars you give them. They will know where to put your branding and where to use it sparingly.

Cillian Griffith
Graphic Designer and Web Designer
Mini Design
your specialist in small business graphic design