Brandient created the new identity of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR) and Olympic Team, with a two-fold identity design solution that acknowledges sports as the strongest pillar of national branding. The modern rendition of the old logo provides the Committee’s corporate identity—while an exuberant Team Romania symbol celebrates the more specific national note through distinctive identity applications.
The new and visionary management of the COSR commissioned the revitalization of the venerable institution’s identity in preparation of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, with full implementation to start immediately after the team’s return from the Baku 2015 European Games.
The strategic approach took in consideration many aspects and constraints of the brand—firstly, the double allegiance of the COSR: like all National Olympic Committees, it abides by the Olympic Charter and the International Olympic Committee, while also representing Romania in front of the international sports community. Additionally, the organization has to cater to a multitude of stakeholders: the athletes, the coaches, the sports federations, organizations and associations, the sponsors, the public etc. Finally, the multi-faceted brand doesn’t fit into a clearly defined typology—it is at the same time a corporate (institutional) identity, a franchise identity, an ideology identity, a services identity, and ultimately, the brand is in a prime position to positively boost the national brand.
The main strategic decision was to create a two-fold identity solution: the corporate logo keeps in strict harmony with the technical constraints of the Olympic symbols, while the exuberant symbol design for Team Romania is more at liberty to express the national spirit. The brand rhetoric is built around the credo “One Nation, one Spirit, one Team”.
“Our intent was to drive the identity towards modern and universal, but also show that the seeds of modernity and universality originate from a deeply-rooted national soul.” —Aneta Bogdan, Managing Partner, Brandient
The revitalization of the old COSR logo provided the corporate identity manifestation—to be used on official documents and stationery, as well as on sports equipment, pins and other communication materials. The new, proprietary symbol is a modern rendition which resembles both a flag (with the national colors of Romania) and a sports podium—where gold, silver, and bronze medalists receive their awards—completed by the word ROMANIA and the Olympic rings, all within a frame resembling a sports arena.
The “Team Romania” Symbol
The second manifestation of the visual identity is the Team Romania symbol, devised to express national beauty, joy, pride, playfulness, friendship and the celebratory emotion of victory. It consists of a capital “R”, intertwined with the letter “O” made by stylized Romanian traditional stitching symbols in the three national colors, in a visual interpretation of a Romanian folk motif, the “hora” dance. The words “Team Romania” make up the vertical leg of the “R”. This identity is to be used mainly on the materials and equipment of the Romanian Olympic team at various Olympic competitions, as well as in communication materials—with greater marketing freedom than the corporate logo. Various applications will play on the alternation of the three national colors.
“Being entrusted with the creation of the new identities for the National Olympic Committee and the Olympic Team comes as one of the greatest honors for our team. Grateful to our client for this privilege, we strived to transfer the tremendous equity of sports into a strong facet for Brand Romania.” —Ciprian Badalan, Design Director, Brandient
Read more about the rebranding of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee here.