The int'l branding and marketing world "is keen to see what’s next for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics committee after its unprecedented decision to abandon the Games’ official emblem amid plagiarism complaints," according to Ben Fischer of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. In the days since artist Kenjiro Sano’s designs were scrapped Sept. 1, sponsors, Japanese government agencies and the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee itself "canceled orders, tore down signs and edited websites to eliminate the graphic." In the meantime, organizers "are starting at square one to develop a new logo." The "good news for sponsors: It’s early." Active use of the logo, chosen in late July, "hadn’t really spread beyond Japanese borders, and most sponsors will withhold the bulk of their activation spending for the 2020 Summer Games until
after the Rio Games conclude next year."
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Tokyo’s bid campaign logo has been pushed back into service.
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Nevertheless, domestic sponsors "are left without any fresh marketing assets to use in the meantime, and most of them had at least started to roll out 2020 campaigns." For instance, banking sponsor Mizuho Financial Group "scrambled to remove signs from 400 branches throughout Japan." FutureBrand London CEO Nick Syke said, "If I’m a sponsor, what have I got? What can I even put on my collateral? I’ve paid my money. They can use the candidate bid city logo, but that’s not what you want. They’ve got little to play with." Finding a new emblem "is likely to take many months, pushing the creative process for sponsors into 2016." United Entertainment Group Exec VP, Group Head, Sports & Entertainment Communications Erin Weinberg said that it is "not simply a matter of replacing the image on existing work." Anything that has been in production or advanced creative stages "must be reconsidered, and organizers will have to meet anew with sponsors to update them on changes and go over style guidelines." Local media reported that the Tokyo metropolitan government itself canceled a $380,000 order last week, and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. "yanked a TV commercial featuring the design." Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., NEC Corp., Mitsui Fudosan Co. and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. "have all removed the logo from their websites" (
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/14 issue).
