New Visual Identity for IAAF and
Global Athletics - "celebrating athlete " highlights universal appeal of track
and field
IAAF Release
25 November 2000 – Monte Carlo - On the occasion of the World Athletics Gala in Monaco, the International Amateur Athletic Federation IAAF has unveiled its new visual identity: the celebrating athlete.
IAAF President Lamine Diack commented: "The athlete symbolises the core values we all look for in today's world of athletics: excitement, honesty, authenticity, credibility and global aspiration. This new branding will guide us through the years ahead when we aspire to extend the reach of athletics further, both in number of participants as well as fans".
Since the founding of the IAAF in 1912, the Federation has used the Classical Goddess of victory to symbolise its status as the "original" sporting activity. With the celebrating athlete, the IAAF is now choosing a more contemporary visual identity. The symbol of a celebrating hero resonates with all people with a passion for sports and the achievements made by individual athletes from all over the world.
This visual development has been supported by a global research campaign to identify the key attributes of Athletics in the eyes of the public.
The new visual identity will not only serve as a visual reference for the Federation itself, but all IAAF World Athletic Series events. Those events include the IAAF World Championships as well as the IAAF World Indoor Championships. In addition, all other projects and activities under the direct control of the Federation will be identified through the new visual identity. This new visual identity will be used as of March 2001.
Jean-Marie Weber, Chairman of ISL Marketing, commented: "As the long-serving marketing partner of IAAF, we were honoured when the IAAF asked us to help them to develop a new brand identity that incorporates all the positive aspects of athletics. Especially attractive in athletics is not only who wins, but being able to observe dedicated individuals competing against each other in a very spirited manner. We are confident that our marketing efforts for the world of athletics will be greatly enhanced by this new branding."
Included in the graphic representation of the athlete is the slogan "Global Athletics powered by IAAF" or, for the North American market "Global Track and Field powered by IAAF". The slogan represents the unique role played by the IAAF to further the development of athletics everywhere. The brand will be used extensively on other IAAF projects such as the Development Programme and the World Rankings. Furthermore, it will be applied on print materials and signage, on all TV broadcasts and licensed merchandise and promotional material will be available for consumers.