Folk art psychedelia

Lance Wyman and Peter Murdoch’s 1966 logo for Mexico ‘68

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.