How the Paris Olympics Uses Creative Packaging (But Minimal Cliché) for Merchandise

With the Paris Olympics only a few months away, we’re starting to get a look at what fans both in Paris and from afar can purchase from the various e-commerce platforms the IOC is working with.

Like other big-ticket international events like the World Cup, the Olympics merchandise reflects on the host city/country and its traditions and national identity. They also have a strange mascot, because whoever is in charge of choosing mascots for these events is certainly not the same panel of people choosing mascots of such a high caliber as Gritty, the Phillie Phanatic, or even the ever-creepy Mr. Met. Maybe they know that the mascots only need to be commercially viable for a month or so, and then they can reach their natural expiration date. They don’t need to have the staying professional or even collegiate mascot staying power.

The Paris Olympics mascot is a smiling triangle named Phryge. Specifically, they have many Phyrges, sort of like minions, that look a bit like the alien from “NOPE,” and right now we’re not too concerned with why it is the way it is.

Dans 1 an, c’est mon moment ✨
Happy 1 year to go !

- La Phryge Olympique.#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Uo94t0b1wr

— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) July 26, 2023

Sacre bleu!

What we’re more concerned about is how the IOC is marketing these Summer Olympics in one of the world’s premier cities in terms of identity and landmarks.

Especially after debuting the medals, which literally feature parts of the iconic Eiffel Tower, we were a little surprised to see how little the tower imagery factored into the merchandise.

The designers still used the Parisian design motifs enough, but it was mostly on the packaging. Items like enamel pins, which might be a soccer ball or a depiction of Phryge kicking a ball, used the cardboard backing to extend the scene, so to speak, placing the pin in amidst a backdrop of a field or inner-Arrondissement soccer pitch.

Credit: Paris Olympics Store

The use of color, too, goes beyond just the red, white, and blue. This is sort of like what Australia and New Zealand did for the Women’s World Cup. But, going even further, it’s interesting that the multi-color “Paris 2024” designs also don’t simply adhere to the Olympic Rings colors. It seems arbitrary, which is fine, but seems like a missed opportunity to tie in the Olympics branding.

Credit: Paris Olympics Store

What the merchandise does do well to tie in the Paris theme is merchandise using the language. There are tote bags that say “Allez!” (Let’s go!), and packaging that says “L’Amour!” (Love!).

Credit: Paris Olympics Store

If only they had used the phrase that I practiced before I went to Paris on vacation last year:

Bonjour, où est le restaurant avec le rat?

The reason we feel just a little underwhelmed by the way the Olympics have seemingly underused the Parisian theme is that NBC went so over-the-top with the kits it sent its media members. It included a whole coffee set, all in gorgeous packaging that felt at home in the most upscale hotel on the Champs-Élysées.

However, credit where it’s due: So far, the Olympics merchandise has been mostly scandal-free, which is more than we could say about the Tokyo games. In addition to the delay from COVID, there were reports of bribery, as well as products made from cotton produced using forced labor in China.

After Paris, the Olympics will take place in the U.S., with Los Angeles winning the 2028 bid. We’ve gotten a sneak peak of how the logo will adorn the city, and how the organizers are using some of LA’s many artistic talents to lend their gifts to the branding initiative. It will be interesting to see how far into the themes they go for displays, signage, promotional products, and immersive experiences in Los Angeles.

But, that will be done with Fanatics as a partner. And, after the MLB uniform debacle, it could be newsworthy for the wrong reasons.

And, of course, there’s still time to see more from Paris before the torch is lit, so we’ll keep an eye out for more branding stories from the Olympics as they come.

By the way, the Phryge mascot is modeled after the Phrygian hats you'd see in something like Les Misérables. So, there's a bit of French theme for you. I, personally, still find it off-putting, though.