From the release:

Today, the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Organizing Committee unveiled its original and unprecedented logo for the 2022 USA Games which was, for the first time in the organization’s 50-year history, inspired and designed by nine artistic and talented Special Olympics athletes.

Athletes from across the country gathered for a three-day workshop in Orlando, where they joined forces with professional designers from creative ad agency partner, Publicis Seattle, to provide the vision for the 2022 USA Games logo, as well as the primary color palette.

The mark represents the natural elements of Florida culminating in a fiery spark of the Special Olympics spirit.

Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi, who is best known for her 2018 Academy Award-winning documentary short Period. End of Sentence., directed a mini-documentary that was filmed during the three-day workshop.

This unique approach to developing the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games logo served as the perfect platform to unlock the creativity and confidence of the Special Olympics athletes. Zehtabchi’s film beautifully captures the positive impact of the process and the undeniable spirit and talent of the athletes.

Pete Kearney, ECD, Publicis Seattle: “We always felt this was never our logo to create – it was the athletes’. We embraced that idea and empowered the talent, vision, and passion of these spirited artists.

“We’re in the business of changing perceptions, and with this work, we’ve shown that creative power exists in each and every one of us.”
 

Client: 2022 Special Olympics USA Games

Agency: Publicis, Seattle
President: Melissa Nelson
Executive Creative Director/s: Jason Lucas, Pete Kearney
Creative Director/s: Chris Campbell, Earl Wallace IV
Sr. Art Director: Chad Ford
Sr. Designer: Michelle Billings
Copywriter: Kai Nedderson
Head of Production: AJ Karim
Executive Producer: Jen Allen
Assistant Producer: Grace Gutierrez

Director: Rayka Zehtabchi
Director of Photography: Sam Davis
Editor: Sam Davis
Assistant Editor: Tim Deters

Design/Animation: Laundry
Executive Creative Directors: PJ Richardson, Tony Liu
Creative Director: Reza Rasoli
Managing Director: James Sweigert
Head of Production: Matthew Primm
Producer: Dean Marchand
Design: Reza Rasoli, Yoojin Seol, Teppei Maki, Ana Perez Lopez
Animation: Reza Rasoli, Teppei Maki, Ramzi Hogan, Samantha Maurer, Ana Perez Lopez

Audio Record: Push Button Productions
Producer/Engineer: Yeosh Bendayan
Producer/Engineer: Jon Ruhff

Mix/Sound Design: Bart Radio
Producer/Engineer: Bart Smith

Special Olympics Athletes/Artists/s: Caroline Shin, Haley Waggoner, Lee Savage, Aarushi Pratap, Marta Paramo, Coby Fineran, Andrew Weatherly, Patrice Jetter, Mariah Gilbert