Olympic logo conspiracy theory runs rings around TikTok

Olympic branding is some of the most recognisable around – and some of the strictest. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) brand guidelines are over 130 pages long, and they dictate exactly how iconic symbols such as the five rings should be used. And they definitely don't endorse going ahead and recreating your own version of the logo to be displayed on TV. 

That's exactly what one TikTok user has accused Australian streaming platform 9Now of doing. With full coverage of the Games available to watch for free on 9Now, the platform is quite the destination for Olympic coverage – but the app's welcome page appears to show an unofficial version of the logo. One of the best Olympic logos this ain't.

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TikTok user The Original Kiki claims to have been "looking at that the past two days and been like, what is wrong with this?". And now they've concluded that the designer "has just created five circles that aren't the logo."

Indeed, the version of the Olympic rings on 9Now's app welcome screen (below) doesn't look quite the same. The colours are paler, and the circles appear to be a fair bit thinner. But the clearest sign is that the circles literally don't interlock. Instead, they've been placed on top of one-another. Take a look at the first blue circle, for example – instead of one edge sitting over and one under the yellow circle, both edges are in the foreground. Heresy!

If it wasn't for those infamously strict guidelines, this might not seem such a big deal. But those guidelines state, "'The Olympic rings should never be altered in any manner, including modifying the official colours, or the order of the colours. Always use supplied artwork (never recreate the rings)."

Since the design is literally five circles, this is a rare case where it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine a plucky designer misguidedly thinking 'You know what? I could do that'. We'd love to see their take on the Audi logo.