Rivera Design Group Ltd. is the winner of the national Vancouver 2010 Olympic Emblem Design Competition.
When John Furlong (CEO, Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee) announced this award to our firm, he said: "I hope you realize that you now belong to a select group of world-class designers." In fact, there are less than a dozen Creative Directors in the world that are alive today that share this prestigious title.

	Elena shares a moment of glory with 2 judges and 2 Olympic logo designers. From left to right: Steve Mykolyn, Creative Director of design and interactive at Taxi Advertising and Design (Toronto); Wei Yew - Designer and author of The Olympic Image - The First 100 years (Edmonton); Theodora Mantzaris, Designer for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games; Elena Rivera MacGregor, creative director for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Emblem; Brad Copeland, Brad Copeland, President and founder of Iconologic, Designer of the logo for the Atlanta Olympic Games winning bid.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games Emblem was designed by Rivera Design Group, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Rivera Design Group has three designers, and has won several awards for its graphic design work.

The Rivera Design Group team submitted "Ilanaaq" (the Inuktitut word for "friend") as an entry to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Emblem Design Competition that was held in the summer of 2004. Rivera Design Group was announced as the winner on April 23, 2005. Elena Rivera MacGregor, Rivera Design Group Principal and Creative Director, was motivated to enter the competition by the challenge that it presented - the challenge of trying to communicate so much in the very simplest form. In the words of Rivera MacGregor, "How could we not try and at the same time, contribute ideas to an organization that has such an incredible history?"

The inspiration for the design came almost immediately, as the team thought about the values of Canada and the Olympic Games and how this is reflected in Vancouver's inukshuk - a gift from the North that has become a local landmark, and a symbol that is found throughout Canada. After researching all of the topics that they wanted to communicate - Canada's cultural diversity, national personality, and landscapes - the inukshuk came up again as a concept that could represent them all.

One of Ilanaaq's most charming additions - its mouth - was added as a last minute touch when Rivera MacGregor decided it needed a little something more to bring it to life. At that moment, "it immediately gained the friendly, open-armed attitude that represents all Canadians."