About the LOGO

The logo for the 2010 FIFA World Cup – the event’s trade mark – was revealed in 2006 and led to mixed reactions. While some people thought the world cup logo was the best thing since a slice of bread, others shrugged. However, over the past years the 2010 FIFA World Cup Emblem has slowly but surely embedded itself into South African society.

The logo was designed by South African graphic designer Gaby de Abreu, co-founder of the Johannesburg based design company Switch Design which also designed logos for South Africa’s Springbok rugby team, the African Nations Cup soccer event and the Olympic Torch Relay that travelled through South Africa. De Abreu worked six months on the emblem before it was unveiled in Berlin in July 2006.

The search for a logo designer started in 2005, and resulted in 25 shortlisted companies. Of them, five were asked to submit five designs. The designs had to reflect FIFA, the World cup football and the African continent.

The potential 2010 world cup logos were then presented to a panel of judges from South Africa and other African countries, as well as FIFA delegates. In the end it was De Abreu’s logo that won overall approval.  According to him, it was the strong African identity of his logo that appealed to the judges.

To compare the 2010 world cup logo with previous world cup logos, please click here. For the rules on using the 2010 world cup logo and the other FIFA trade marks, click here.

More interesting 2010 world cup stuff on Twenty10:

• An overview of the ten 2010 world cup stadiums
• South Africa’s nine 2010 world cup host cities: where are they?
• 2010 world cup tickets: FAQ
• 2010 world cup base camps: who stays where?
• Using the world cup logo and FIFA trade marks: the rules