At the start of 2022, Pizza Typefaces, a renowned French type design studio and foundry, were approached by Nike to create an innovative new typeface for the highly anticipated 2024 Paris Olympics. The studio, led by designers Adrien Midzic and Luc Borho, specialises in custom and retail typefaces, web typography solutions, and design consulting.
For this notable project, Nike outlined key objectives aimed at breaking away from traditional conventions of typical bold sports fonts. The new typeface was to convey both unity and movement, capturing the dynamic spirit of the Olympics. In addition, the font needed to be versatile and functional, ensuring it could be effectively applied not only on athletes’ jerseys but also across various merchandise, reflecting the event’s global reach and the energy of the games.
After deciding to develop a variable font that would allow the amount of movement in the letters to be defined, the project was set in motion. In line with a brief from Nike’s art directors, the studio began to develop a typeface that could evoke the pleasure we experience through sport. From a technical perspective, Nike requested two different variations of the font: one focused on high legibility for athletes’ jerseys, and another with increased character for merchandise.
For the second version, Futura—a font closely associated with the brand—was used as a reference, particularly for its round letters (O, C, G, Q), which gently nodded to the shape of the Olympic rings. By instantly referencing the most iconic symbol of the Olympics, the typeface becomes unmistakably linked to the event, creating a deep understanding for audiences and the brand.
From this point on, the studio began to experiment and develop a more complex version of the font, using generous curves to best illustrate the concept of movement. They drew inspiration from the ‘throw-up’ graffiti style, which involves drawing letters in a single continuous pen stroke. Once the graphic principle was established, Pizza Typefaces ensured that the line movements functioned for each letter individually. This approach enabled the studio to maintain visual coherence and legibility in such an unconventional font—an often challenging task.
To design the more legible version of the font, they applied the same approach, creating a seamless transition between the two versions. Twists at the ends of the letters and the intersections of the curves form this transition. This approach allowed the font to be adjusted via a ‘movement,’ slider. Given how modern sports are intertwined with sensors and performance data, the idea was to create a typeface that could visually reflect an athlete’s metrics, such as speed, pace, and even pleasure. As a result, it is a relatively simple font that challenges traditional design conventions.
Overall the project managed to deliver a blend between the core principle values of the event with innovative design elements to create a memorable custom font for the 2024 Olympic games.
You can stay updated on Pizza Typeface’s upcoming projects on their website here.
