Canadian Olympic Committee
Brand Refresh & Year-Round Platform
Brand Refresh & Year-Round Platform
Lead Designer/
Creative Lead
Creative Lead
Challenge
As Team Canada evolved from a Games-time identity into a year-round brand, its visual identity and architecture had become increasingly fragmented. Multiple logos existed for the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Olympic Team, with unclear guidance for the Canadian Olympic Foundation and supporting programs.
At the same time, the organization was expanding across digital products, athlete storytelling, fundraising, education, partner activations and live experiences. The existing guidelines no longer reflected the scale or complexity of the brand.
Opportunity
Create a unified brand platform that could bring the organization together, simplify how the identity was used and support everything from everyday communications to Olympic Games experiences.
Role
As Lead Designer, I helped shape the Be Olympic brand platform and led the evolution of Team Canada’s visual identity and visual language. Working across Brand, Marketing, Partnerships, Digital, Communications, Foundation and Sport, I established the creative foundations, standards and tools needed to deliver a more consistent Team Canada experience.
As Team Canada evolved from a Games-time identity into a year-round brand, its visual identity and architecture had become increasingly fragmented. Multiple logos existed for the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Olympic Team, with unclear guidance for the Canadian Olympic Foundation and supporting programs.
At the same time, the organization was expanding across digital products, athlete storytelling, fundraising, education, partner activations and live experiences. The existing guidelines no longer reflected the scale or complexity of the brand.
Opportunity
Create a unified brand platform that could bring the organization together, simplify how the identity was used and support everything from everyday communications to Olympic Games experiences.
Role
As Lead Designer, I helped shape the Be Olympic brand platform and led the evolution of Team Canada’s visual identity and visual language. Working across Brand, Marketing, Partnerships, Digital, Communications, Foundation and Sport, I established the creative foundations, standards and tools needed to deliver a more consistent Team Canada experience.
Brand Platform
The identity was simplified around the iconic Team Canada oval, creating a clearer visual hierarchy across the Canadian Olympic Committee, Team Canada, the Foundation and supporting programs.
The refreshed visual language included typography, colour, iconography, pictograms, illustration, photography and motion. Digital guidelines, accessible design standards and governance helped teams apply the brand consistently while leaving room for different audiences, programs and moments.
Campaigns & Communications
The platform extended across marketing campaigns, athlete storytelling, fundraising, partnerships, publications, presentations, social media and video. Flexible templates and toolkits allowed teams and partners to create tailored communications while maintaining a recognizable Team Canada presence.
Digital & Experiences
The visual language was brought to life through a refresh of Olympic.ca, the Team Canada mobile app, environmental graphics, events and Games-time experiences. The platform provided a consistent foundation across digital and physical touchpoints while adapting to the distinct character of each Olympic Games.
Creative Enablement
I also helped establish a centralized Creative Services function, introducing shared briefing, project intake, governance and resource-planning processes. Standardized templates, reusable assets and Asana project management gave teams greater visibility and made it easier to manage a growing volume of work.
The identity was simplified around the iconic Team Canada oval, creating a clearer visual hierarchy across the Canadian Olympic Committee, Team Canada, the Foundation and supporting programs.
The refreshed visual language included typography, colour, iconography, pictograms, illustration, photography and motion. Digital guidelines, accessible design standards and governance helped teams apply the brand consistently while leaving room for different audiences, programs and moments.
Campaigns & Communications
The platform extended across marketing campaigns, athlete storytelling, fundraising, partnerships, publications, presentations, social media and video. Flexible templates and toolkits allowed teams and partners to create tailored communications while maintaining a recognizable Team Canada presence.
Digital & Experiences
The visual language was brought to life through a refresh of Olympic.ca, the Team Canada mobile app, environmental graphics, events and Games-time experiences. The platform provided a consistent foundation across digital and physical touchpoints while adapting to the distinct character of each Olympic Games.
Creative Enablement
I also helped establish a centralized Creative Services function, introducing shared briefing, project intake, governance and resource-planning processes. Standardized templates, reusable assets and Asana project management gave teams greater visibility and made it easier to manage a growing volume of work.
The result became the creative foundation for Team Canada's year-round brand experience across three Olympic Games and a growing portfolio of national initiatives.
Impact
- Simplify brand governance through a clear visual hierarchy and centralized digital guidelines.
- Create a recognizable yet flexible identity and brand architecture that could adapt across campaigns, partnerships, fundraising, digital products, events, and Games-time experiences.
- Improve creative efficiency through shared templates, reusable assets, and standardized design principles.
- Establish Creative Services workflows through standardized briefing, project intake, Asana project management, and resource planning, enabling teams to deliver a growing portfolio of national initiatives with greater visibility, consistency, and efficiency.
- Create a scalable foundation that continues to support Team Canada's evolving programs, partnerships, and community initiatives.
- Strengthen brand recognition and brand perception through a more consistent and cohesive experience across every touchpoint.
- Support year-over-year growth in marketing partnerships, sponsorship revenue, programming, and events by providing a scalable brand platform that partners could confidently activate.