Hong Kong Design Centre

Julie Matikhine, Brand Director of Paris 2024 Olympic Games, brings a visionary approach to sport and design.

From Law to Communications: A Creative Leap

Matikhine's journey to becoming a branding expert wasn't straightforward. She began her career studying law and working as a strategic consultant for the French National Railway Company (SNCF). However, she soon felt drawn towards creativity and innovation. "I quickly felt that I was losing my creativity, and innovation at SNCF was challenging," she says. [1] This realisation led her to transition into the world of communications, where she has been applying her creative vision ever since.

The Paris 2024 logo, a fusion of the Olympic flame, gold medal, and Marianne, symbolises universal values and French heritage.

Building a Brand in Limited Time

Working on the Paris Olympic Games presented unique challenges, one of which Matikhine refers to as "ephemeral marketing"—quickly building a strong brand that will disappear shortly after its inception. [1] "You don't have time to create a long story, to let people adapt to your culture, your environment. You need to be direct," she explains. [1] To achieve this, Matikhine opted for meaningful symbols that would immediately resonate with people.

A Revolutionary Visual Identity

The visual identity of Paris 2024 is infused with a revolutionary spirit. Matikhine says, "Our visual concept is based on 'Sous les pavés, les Jeux' (Under the paving stones, the Games)," [2,4] a play on the May 1968 Paris protests slogan "Sous les pavés, la plage!" (Under the paving stones, the beach!), expressing the idea that removing Paris's concrete slabs could reveal a brighter future. The design system is built on paving stones as a base unit, filled with symbols of French heritage such as the Eiffel Tower and a heart shape.

The 'Sous les pavés, les Jeux' concept forms the basis of Paris 2024's visual identity, blending revolutionary spirit with Olympic ideals.

Elevating Sport to Universal Values

The Paris 2024 logo, depicting a woman's face, is a fusion of symbols—the medal, the flame, and the female form. [1] Matikhine emphasises, "We wanted to convey that sport is a universal value as important as justice, liberty, and freedom." [1] This concept extends to the unique mascot—a Phrygian cap closely associated with the French Revolution, symbolizing people fighting for progress. She explains, "It's a symbol of people fighting for progress. In France, we've experienced several revolutions." [1]

Infusing French Chic and Art Deco Influences

Matikhine's passion for aesthetics led her to infuse French elegance into the Games' visual identity. Drawing inspiration from the 1924 Paris Olympics and the Art Deco movement, she created a temporal connection between past and present. "We created a time portal between the 1924 Paris Olympics and today," she says. [1] The colors were carefully chosen: blue pays homage to Paris's zinc rooftops, green evokes the Paris Opera's dome, and pink signifies the power of sport to bring people to the world stage.

Breaking Pictogram Traditions

The sports pictograms for Paris 2024 mark a departure from previous Olympic designs. Joachim Roncin, Paris 2024 Head of Design, explained that the pictograms were part of a conscious effort to "break" from the styles exhibited since the Tokyo 1964 Olympics. [3] Unlike Tokyo 2020, the Paris 2024 pictograms don't include human figures, making them more inclusive. Each pictogram comprises three graphical elements: an axis of symmetry, a ground line, and a dynamic representation of the sport. [2]

Paris 2024's innovative sports pictograms break from traditional Olympic designs, focusing on inclusivity and graphical representation.

Celebrating Gender Equality

The Olympic torch, designed by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, not only featured rippled steel mimicking the Seine River but also stood as a powerful symbol of equality and unity. Lehanneur employed symmetry in the design, with the top and bottom mirroring each other, to express the message of equality. "For Paris 2024, and for the first time in its history, it played with perfect symmetry to better express a message of equality," Lehanneur explains. [1] The Paris 2024 Olympic torch, with its symmetrical steel design, powerfully symbolised gender equality, parity, and unity—key values of the Olympic and Paralympic games, which featured an equal number of male and female athletes for the first time in history.

The symmetrical design of the Paris 2024 Olympic torch, created by Mathieu Lehanneur, symbolises gender equality and unity. (Photo by Mathieu Lehanneur on Tuvie)

Collaborating with French Brands

Paris 2024 has collaborated with several French brands to create unique elements for the Games. The hats worn by the 45,000 volunteers, designed by French retailer Decathlon, have gained particular attention. Known as a "bob" in French, the hat has become so popular that some have been resold online for prices as high as €500. [4] Another collaboration is with Chaumet, a luxury jewelry brand, which designed and created the 2024 Olympic medals, even embedding a small piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower in the center of each medal.

The Power of the Games' Look

Matikhine emphasises the importance of branding from a historical perspective. "The look of the Games is the graphic and visual envelope in which the Olympic and Paralympic Games take place," she says. "It's very powerful because it's the image associated with each sporting performance, with each highlight of the Olympic Games or the Paralympic Games." She adds that the look of the Games is part of the intangible legacy that the Olympic and Paralympic Games will leave behind. [3]

Sparking a Design Revolution in Hong Kong

As Matikhine prepares to share her insights at Business of Design Week (BODW) 2024 in Hong Kong this December, she sees an opportunity for cross-pollination of ideas. Her experience in blending tradition with innovation and using design to drive cultural change offers valuable lessons for Hong Kong's design community. Her approach aligns well with Hong Kong's position as a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures.

Julie Matikhine's renewed passion for equestrianism, inspired by her work on Paris 2024, exemplifies the Games

A Personal Revolution

Working on Paris 2024 not only revolutionised sport and design but also reignited Matikhine's passion for equestrianism. "I was explaining to everyone that sport can change everything, and I said to myself, 'Look, it's time for you to get back into sports!'" she shares. [1] Her personal love and respect for sport "perfectly embody the ideals that Paris 2024 wants to convey to the world." [1]

From the paving stones of Paris to the vibrant streets of Hong Kong, Julie Matikhine's revolutionary vision is set to inspire a new generation of designers. We eagerly anticipate her contributions at BODW 2024, where she will bring fresh perspectives on how large-scale event design can influence broader cultural shifts, shaping the future of the design field.

References

[1] Julie Matikhine Designs a New French Revolution at the Paris Olympics: https://www.bodw.com/en/explore/julie-matikhine-designs-a-new-french-revolution-at-the-paris-olympics

[2] Paris 2024 Olympics reveals the next phase of its visual identity: https://www.creativereview.co.uk/paris-2024-olympics-identity-branding/

[3] Paris 2024 Head of Design speaks of "test" to "break" literal images for sports pictograms: https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1133615/paris-2024-pictograms-roncin-test-tokyo   

[4]  The political inspiration for the Paris 2024 Olympics design: https://matthewwarren.substack.com/p/the-political-inspiration-for-the