The 1968 Summer Olympic games was the first to take place in a Latin American country, hosted in the sprawling metropolis of Mexico City. In the years preceding the Olympics, Mexico had experienced the “Mexican Miracle”, a sudden economic growth that saw rapid industrialisation and urbanisation. The government were eager to ‘sell’ this new image of the city and the Olympic games was an ideal opportunity to show the world that it was not only a contemporary city, but also a safe and navigable one too. This initiative would be led by Program Director and Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Pedro Ramirez Vázquez.

An international competition was held two years prior to find an identity that would convey the city as an exciting, cosmopolitan place to be. It would need to be a unifying image of the games, the city, and the spirit of ‘Mexico.’ One of the entrants, Lance Wyman, a young 29 year old designer, flew over with creative partner Peter Murdoch with a one-day ticket. The pair had travelled for a trial period, planning to design something that would represent Mexico, despite this being their first time in the country.

Their crash-course in research consisted of museum visits, including a pivotal trip to the Museum of Anthropology during their first week. Wyman was greatly moved by the bold lines, bright colours, and patterns of the Huichol art on display, created by the indigenous people of Mexico. Their geometric forms reminded the designer of OP art, a style of abstract art (often in black and white) that uses optical illusions to create a sense of movement.

These two visual references would combine in the development of the Game emblem, which took only two weeks to complete – assisted by the design team of Beatrice Colle, Jose Luis Ortiz, and Jan Stornfeld.

Following a suggestion by Ramirez Vázquez , the design would blend the five Olympic rings with the year ’68. With geometric flair, the five Olympic rings ‘expanded’ and created the numbers in concentric circles. With simple, yet mesmerising use of line and repetition, the final design suggests Mexican folk art through a contemporary OP-art lens – fitting for the hippy psychedelia fashion of the time.

Once this ‘68’ emblem was completed, the letters of ‘Mexico’ would need to be added next. This followed the visual language of the logo, as Wyman converted the bold lined lettering into a typeface.

Several colour combinations of the symbol were tested out in the Olympic colours, with variants on white or coloured backgrounds. With an infinite number of possibilities available, it was decided that the black and white version with the coloured Olympic rings would be the standard version.

Despite the country’s huge growth, the “Mexican Miracle” left swathes of people behind, as many believed that the ruling government only aided wealthy Mexicans rather than the poor. In response, a protest movement grew, students took to the streets to hold demonstrations against the political and socio-economic injustice. These peaceful protests would often result in arrests and violent suppression by the police; arresting, locking up, and washing away any signs of disturbance that could disrupt the glossy image of the games.

The designs and propaganda were eventually co-opted by activists who wanted to reveal the ‘real’ Mexico City, exposing the darker political truths that were being covered by the colourful veneer of the Olympic games. They would imitate the distinctive typography and manipulate the posters into representations of the violent scenes. Wyman empathised with the protesters, and felt torn about his involvement in the situation. Ultimately, he realised that his designs were serving both sides.

For many reasons, this design campaign and Lance Wyman’s logo have become one of the most famous in Olympic history.

Program Director
Pedro Ramirez Vázquez
(Chairman of the Organizing Committee)

Design Team Directors
Urban Design: Eduardo Terrazas
Olympic Publications: Beatrice Trueblood
Student Design Team: Manuel Villazon
Special Projects: Peter Murdoch
Graphic Design: Lance Wyman

Graphic Design Team
Lance Wyman, Beatrice Colle,
Jose Luis Ortiz, Jan Stornfeld

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