I partnered with the Canadian Olympic Committee for the 2024 Games in Paris. Here is how we developed scalable, world-class designs that embodied Canadian pride.
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games was the most-watched event of the year, capturing an audience of 4 billion viewers globally. Designing for Team Canada meant tackling challenges like bilingual execution, strategic use of brand assets across platforms, and meeting strict IOC guidelines. This required innovative solutions to create cohesive and impactful designs that showcased Canada’s identity on the global stage.
The 2023 Impact Report
My work began with a bilingual impact report that highlighted Team Canada’s achievements as a well-governed sport system in recent qualifying events. It also detailed funding allocations, actionable plans, and strategic partnerships—reinforcing their commitment to upholding values and integrity in sport.
Digital Campaigns
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The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) partnered with CBC/Radio-Canada to launch campaigns like “Brave is Unbeatable,” which featured inspirational stories of athletes and was promoted through out-of-home advertising, digital media, social media, and television.
I leveraged stunning photography, strong brand colours, and unique texture treatments within standardized templates to create assets that transferred across formats and platforms easily.
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This campaign saw millions of engagements across digital touchpoints, capitalizing on personal athlete stories and interactive content to foster deeper connections with audiences.
Across the Olympic digital platforms, the Olympics website attracted an average of 8 to 10 million unique users per month, doubling the traffic seen in 2021. Team Canada’s social media, particularly on Instagram and Twitter, contributed significantly to this broader trend of engagement. A record-breaking 1.1 billion social media interactions occurred in June leading into the Olympics, reflecting a strong and growing global presence.
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A strong design system was used across a robust multi-channel strategy to not only celebrate athletic achievements but also build emotional connections, reinforcing Canada’s values in sport and community.
We used consistent messaging and design elements in ads on websites and in apps, throughout all social media content, and on CBC live broadcast and streaming platforms.
Environmental Graphics
In the built environment I considered both close and distant vantage points, ensuring that we were easily recognizable through use of elements of Canada’s iconic flag. Design considerations all aimed to achieve privacy, functional design, and an unmistakably recognizable brand.
Strict site clearance protocols were in place so we were designing within the constraints of limited access to the spaces. The complexity of scaling patterns and elements for large-format glass graphics, along with limited proofing opportunities, was another challenge.
Designing in and around the spaces where our athletes lodged was an honor, particularly when it came to the athlete gym and wayfinding points, where the design brought a sense of place and pride to the space.
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