Designing the 1972 Munich Olympics
British designer Ian McLaren gained a unique insight into working with Otl Aicher as a member of his 1972 Munich Olympics design studio
The opener
It’s the greatest show on Earth. But it’s not just the world’s athletes who compete for honours at the Olympic Games: it’s also a chance for the design and advertising communities to shine
Montreal 76 Olympics: The system
Georges Huel’s symbol for the Montreal 76 Games, which used the Olympic rings to subtly evoke both the medal winners’ podium and the stadium track, is up there with the very best in Olympic identity design
The Olympic collector
Markus Osterwalder owns over 12,000 Olympic items. He talks us through the Games’ visual design history
Good omens, great images: Rencontres d’Arles
The breadth of photographic work at this year’s Rencontres d’Arles festival continues to impress, inform and inspire
The candidates
The right to host each Olympic Games is a hard fought contest between rival candidate cities but is the design of the bid logos taken seriously enough?
London 2012: The logo
When the 2012 logo was unveiled, Adrian Shaughnessy was one of its many critics. But, having finally heard the reasoning behind it, he is coming round to its merits
Total design Tokyo style
The year the Olympics ‘got’ modern design was 1964, via Yusaku Kamekura’s logo for the Tokyo games
Creative Review’s Annual Awards 2025 are officially open for entries
One of the most respected and trusted awards for the advertising and design industries are back for 2025. Run, don’t walk to get your entries in before the Early Bird Deadline on 25 October
How to scale your design business
Growth is a dream for many businesses, but it comes with challenges. Daisy Crowder, brand and marketing director at design recruitment agency Craft, offers advice on how to navigate the change and keep staff on side
Cultivating community with Ganni
The Danish luxury fashion label has spearheaded the characterful evolution of Scandi style. Here, chief brand officer Priya Matadeen discusses its approach to collabs, the pressures of being a responsible brand, and how Ganni Girls grew from a hashtag to a badge of belonging
Why are brands apologising so much right now?
Brands are saying sorry at a more rapid rate than ever. CR’s advertising columnist Ben Kay delves into why sorry is no longer the hardest word and whether this is an effective strategy for winning audiences
How Guinness embraced social
By loosening its approach to advertising, and engaging with its audience directly, the drinks brand has transformed with the times and won a whole new set of fans
Tracing Banksy’s art history remixes
Kelly Grovier’s new book charts the artist’s persistent dialogue with classic and contemporary art
How Lego creates meaningful brand experiences
We speak to Lego’s VP of global brand development Alero Akuya about the brand’s rare ability to straddle the physical and virtual worlds with ease – whether through its immersive new art exhibition in Paris or collaborations with Epic Games and Nike
Matt Willey brings a human touch to Kaos titles
The Pentagram partner has created the titles for the acclaimed new Netflix show, which reimagines the Greek myths in a contemporary setting
A visual history of movie posters
A new book from Reel Art Press collates the first comprehensive history of film posters. We explore why they remain an underappreciated area of cultural design
The Monthly Interview: Rob Lowe, aka Supermundane
Mark Sinclair talks to the artist and designer about his new book, Lost Ordinary Magic, and the importance of recognising the power of simplicity and the everyday wonders that surround us
Unravelling adland’s obsession with 90s nostalgia
We explore how the 90s, an era the UK looks favourably upon for its thriving culture, are continually inspiring a stagnated creative industry
Building the visual world of Fontaines DC
The band’s surreal new album visuals explore a darker, more grotesque side of romance. We speak to the creative team behind the campaign about challenging the visual tropes of rock music