Response to Fifa World Cup 2014 Official Emblem - Report Example

RESPONSE TO FIFA WORLD CUP OFFICIAL EMBLEM RESPONSE TO FIFA WORLD CUP OFFICIAL EMBLEM Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) represents the world football governing body (FIFA 2010, p. 23). Various football federations representing individual states are members of FIFA. Among the many events that FIFA organizes, the world football governing body hosts an international mens football tournament after every four years in one or multiple member states. As such, the design of the FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 OFFICIAL EMBLEM represents a long football history where Brazil will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup between 12 June and 13 July 2014. Indeed, the design of the FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 OFFICIAL EMBLEM represents a rich football history, as this will be the 20th international mens football tournament organized by FIFA. The design of the FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 OFFICIAL EMBLEM is historical since Brazil will be hosting this event for the second time having hosted the 1950 FIFA World Cup. As such, there was abject need to ensure that the design satisfies the significance of the event to the nation and the federation. The design sought to preserve the identity of the nation and uniqueness of the tournament. Just like in other tournaments, FIFA through the Brazilian Football Association sought to have the best design to meet the above needs. Ideally, all artistic designs should meet the expectations of the audience. The 2014 FIFA World Cup should be the largest single sport watched by billions of football fans across the globe (FIFA 2010, p. 3). As such, the 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the greatest competition in the world this year and hence it attracts various interests. Indeed, FIFA, Brazil, soccer fans, businesspersons, and non-governmental organizations have attached interests on the event and specifically on the design of the official emblem for the tournament. The design of the FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 OFFICIAL EMBLEM ought to represent the interests of these stakeholders. The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be an event staged on a spectacular platform as the world associates Brazil with soccer (FIFA 2010, p. 3). In the previous years, FIFA has been consistent in staging spectacular tournaments. Indeed, FIFA always valued the design of the Official emblems as seen in previous world cup tournaments where such designs represented national identity of host nations and the uniqueness of the event. As such, the world football governing body appointed the Brazilian Football Association, which is one of its member associations to organize and stage the international event (FIFA 2010, p. 23). The Brazilian Football Association is therefore responsible for all the dynamics and logistics of the event including the design of the official 2014 FIFA World Cup. The Brazilian Football Association was aware that each FIFA World Cup is unique and hence the design of the FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 OFFICIAL EMBLEM should have a unique identity. As such, the image of the 2014 FIFA World Cup is specific and unique where it will define the 2014 FIFA World Cup this year and will be a reference point in the future. The FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 OFFICIAL EMBLEM is the cornerstone that defines the brand identity of the tournament (FIFA 2014, p. 1). All stakeholders will have to embrace this image and hence the need for a perfect design. Notably, just like the world cup, Brazil is also a unique nation, which accommodates modernity and diversity. The design of the official emblem for the tournament addresses the modernity and diversity of Brazil. To achieve this, the Brazilian Football Association invited 25 Brazilian-based agencies to design and present their works for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Emblem (FIFA 2014, p. 1). Subject to the significance of the event and the demand for beautiful and effective designs, the Brazilian Football Association received over 125 designs for the official emblem (FIFA 2014, p. 1). In light of ensuring that the designs meet the set requirements, FIFA and the Brazilian Football Association took time to review the designs and shortlist the most beautiful, accommodative, and effective designs. According to the FIFA and the selection committee, the new design of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Emblem should convey the Brazilian spirit and connect the Brazilian spirit with the spirit of the FIFA World Cup (FIFA 2014, p. 1). This aimed at ensuring that the official emblem addressed the diversity and modernity in Brazil. Additionally, FIFA and the Brazilian Football Association aimed at ensuring that the design of the emblem manifests creativity, artistic merit, and uniqueness. Indeed, all classical designs should be beautiful and achieve the above requirements (Heller 2004, p. 1). To ensure that the design met the above requirements, FIFA and the Brazilian Football Association formed a panel that included influential figures in modern Brazil like FIFA executive secretary Jérôme Valcke and Brazilian Football Federation President and the President of the Brazilian Local Organizing Committee Ricardo Teixeira (FIFA 2014, p. 1). The panel also included the designer Hans Donner, architect Oscar Niemeyer, singer Ivete Sangalo, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, and author Paulo Coelho (FIFA 2014, p. 1). This panel took its time to analyze all the design. The aspect of a designer being an author suffices where the author Paulo Coelho was in the panel that judged all the submitted designs. Moreover, no other panelists except Hans Donner were designers, which confirm the notion that everybody is a designer (Rock 1996, p. 7). After considering various aspects of design and art, the panel released the official 2014 FIFA World Cup emblem in Johannesburg. According to the panel, the Brazilian agency Africa created the winning design named “Inspiration” (FIFA 2014, p. 1). The design of the official emblem had the inscription “FIFA WORLD CUP Brasil” and seemingly satisfied the standards set by the panel of influential personalities in modern Brazil. The aspect of beauty and authorship is alive in this piece of art (Heller 2004, p. 1). Ideally, authorship, in one form or another, has been a popular term in graphic design circles, especially those at the edge of the profession, the design academies, and the murky territories that exist between design and art (Rock 1996, p. 7). Where the Brazilian agency Africa created the winning design, we cannot help to question whether they are indeed designers or authors (Rock 1996, p. 7). This emanates from the fact that there is a murky territory between design and art in the 2014 FIFA World Cup official emblem. As seen above, the design of the 2014 FIFA World Cup official emblem emanates from an iconic photograph of three victorious hands together raising the FIFA World Cup trophy, which is the world’s most famous and prestigious trophy (FIFA 2014, p. 1). Moreover, the design depicts the humanitarian nature of Brazilians by showing the interlinking of hands. This serves the purpose of presenting the diversity and identity of Brazilians. Indeed, we can also see the yellow and green color of the three hands holding the trophy (FIFA 2014, p. 1). The two colors define Brazil since they dominate the Brazilian national identity. Indeed, the yellow and green color in the design forms a clear link to the colors of the Brazilian national flag (FIFA 2014, p. 1). The two colors and the three interlinking hands manifest how Brazil is warmly welcoming the world to the Brazilian shores (FIFA 2014, p. 1). Generally, Brazilians are very hospitable as seen in the design. The yellow color in the design represents the color of the FIFA World Cup trophy, which is golden yellow. The FIFA World Cup trophy is made of gold and hence very precious. Yellow is the color of gold and hence the design equally represents the uniqueness and value of the tournament. As such, the design meets the purpose of representing the nation and the FIFA World Cup. The fact that the design portrays three raised hands holding the FIFA World Cup trophy is a manifestation of victory that every team in the world cup would dream seeks (FIFA 2014, p. 1). As such, the design acts as an inspiration to the competition teams by assuring them of victory. Indeed, FIFA World Cup winners will definitely lift the trophy as depicted in the design. Most specifically, the design of the 2014 FIFA World Cup official emblem is an inspiration to the Brazilian team who will be seeking to win the trophy on home soil. The fact that the colors of the three hands represent the Brazilian identity is a motivation to the team as it predicts their win. As such, the design fits its name in that it is an inspiration for glory in the tournament. The yellow and green colors as seen in the design dominate the strongest features of the Brazilian way of life. The yellow color represents the golden beaches and beautiful sun in Brazil while the green color represents the strong tropical interior in Brazil (FIFA 2014, p. 1). Indeed, Brazil is a prominent tropical region. As such, the design plays a noble role of depicting Brazilian identity and welcoming the FIFA World Cup, the soccer fans, and teams to Brazil. The design of the 2014 FIFA World Cup official emblem manifests the modernity and diversity in Brazil through the striking colors and strong tropical interior (FIFA 2014, p. 1). Hence, the designer succeeded in merging the interests of the nation as well as the interests of the event. This amounts to beautiful artistic skills that include creativity, artistic merit, and uniqueness. Moreover, it is clear that the design accommodates a vivid representation of the FIFA World Cup trophy (FIFA 2014, p. 1). This is very effective in that Brazil has a valuable history with the trophy having won it a record five times. No other nation has won the trophy for five times and hence the vivid representation of the trophy and its association with Brazil fits the purpose of showing how Brazil has dominated this tournament in the past. The design thereby presents a clear message about the tournament. Indeed, the design confirms that Brazil is hosting the event and that Brazilians are welcoming the world to the event. The design equally inspires all teams especially Brazil to victory and portrays Brazil as a legend in this event. The unique artistic traits in the design create a unique bond between Brazil, the 2014 FIFA World Cup emblem, FIFA, and the FIFA World Cup trophy (FIFA 2014, p. 1). Indeed, the design offers a strong visual representation of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Brazil (FIFA 2014, p. 1). The individual graphics, word elements, and other artistic traits that form the official emblem design are properties and ownership rights of FIFA (FIFA 2010, p. 5). This raises the question of authorship in design where the Brazilian design agency Africa is designers and not authors (Rock 1996, p. 7). Indeed, trademarks, copyrights, and other laws of intellectual property protect the design of the emblem (FIFA 2010, p. 7). This emanates from the fact that the design of the Official Emblem is very valuable as the main logo that defines the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It is a reference point to all the people involved with the event as well as all the merchandise related to the tournament. Indeed, all the t-shirts, shorts, caps, and commercial adverts related to the 2014 FIFA World Cup must bear this emblem. The emblem is also a symbol of the Brazilian Football Association that is hosting the tournament where the emblem will live on after the 2014 FIFA World Cup (FIFA 2014, p. 1). This is the design that will remain in the minds of all people involved in the 2014 FIFA World Cup long after the tournament. Worth noting is the fact that it must have been a challenging task to design an emblem that represents the colorful, culturally rich, modern, powerful, and vibrant Brazil (FIFA 2014, p. 1). Subject to the enormous task of designing the emblem, this piece of art attracts significant criticism. The official emblem is seemingly complex in its execution. The designer depicts great style in exaggerating a natural phenomenon where he builds the FIFA World Cup trophy from the three hands holding it (Brand New 2013, p. 1). However, the physical execution of that idea is seemingly impossible since holding the trophy in the hands would be the most realistic phenomena. The “Brasil” lettering as seen in the design is equally crude (Brand New 2013, p. 1). Brazilian graphic designer Alexandre Wollner refers to the design as a facepalm and criticizes the process of selecting the design, which excluded professional graphic designers (Brand New 2013, p. 1). Nevertheless, the emblem will serve its purpose in an effective manner where it is likely to cause a contagious excitement in the event. This qualifies as a beautiful design since it does not attempt to create and define alternative standards (Heller 2004, p. 1). As such, the design of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Emblems depicts great artistic work and serves the intended purpose. Works Cited Brand New 2013, Brazil Mishandles 2014 World Cup Logo, retrieved 1 May 2014, < http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/brazil_mishandles_2014_world_cup_logo.php#.U2Ib3YGSy68> Heller, S 2004, Cult of the Ugly, retrieved 1 May 2014, < https://www.typotheque.com/articles/cult_of_the_ugly> Rock, M 1996, Designer As Author, retrieved 1 May 2014, < http://2x4.org/ideas/22/designer-as-author/> FIFA 2010, 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, retrieved 1 May 2014, < http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/marketing/01/37/85/97/2014_fifapublicguidelines_eng_17052013.pdf> FIFA 2014, OFFICIAL EMBLEM, retrieved 1 May 2014, < http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/officialemblem/> Read More