The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games unveiled a pink cockatoo as the official emblem. Organisers chose the bird over a kangaroo to represent Queensland and the Olympic flame. Although a video leak spoiled the surprise early, chief marketing officer Brent Hill said the reaction has been really positive.
The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games have found their face, and it is not the kangaroo.
Organisers recently unveiled the Games’ first major visual identity, with a pink cockatoo taking centre stage. The Olympic emblem is the crest of a pink cockatoo, an Australian bird, with the colour stylised to resemble an Olympic and Paralympic flame and its shape designed to resemble Queensland.
The emblem had been revealed piece by piece across Queensland over the past week, with Olympic and Paralympic stars including Ian Thorpe, Grant Patterson, Anna Meares and Alexa Leary taking part in the statewide unveiling. The plan was to complete the puzzle at a community celebration in Brisbane.
Instead, the internet got there first.
An explainer video containing the completed emblem was accidentally uploaded to the official Brisbane 2032 YouTube channel three days before the scheduled launch.
“The Brisbane 2032 emblems are inspired by the spirited cockatoo — a symbol of Australia's unique wildlife and playful heart! The cockatoo's crest is a living torch, reminiscent of the iconic Olympic and Paralympic flame,” the description reportedly read, ABC reported.
“Shaped like Queensland, with its eye on Brisbane, the emblem is a universal symbol to unite Brisbane, Australia and the world in 2032.”
The video was quickly removed, but screenshots had already spread across social media. Brisbane 2032 chief marketing officer Brent Hill later said the leak had generated “incredible” publicity.
“The overarching piece from our side is still the fact that we wanted people to guess, we wanted the clues to be out there, and now it's out there.
“The reaction to it has been really positive.”
WHY COCKATOO OVER KANGAROO?
The cockatoo had plenty of competition. The kangaroo, koala and even the ibis — popularly known in Australia as the “bin chicken” — were among the Australian animals considered, but the cockatoo won out.
Its crest is designed to resemble the Olympic and Paralympic flame, while the overall shape reflects Queensland and its eye represents Brisbane. Organisers have also incorporated First Nations elements into the design, with “cockatoos seen as messengers carrying cultural meaning and linking people to place, story and ceremony.”
Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the emblems “are a celebration of our city, our lifestyle.”
“They reflect the Brisbane (that) people know and love: vibrant, resilient, connected, friendly, playful and a little bit cheeky,” Schrinner said. “They are also a symbol of the excitement building across our city.
“With just under six years to go, we are already preparing to welcome the world to Australia’s lifestyle capital.”
MASCOT CAN BE DIFFERENT
The cockatoo should not, however, be confused with the official mascot of Brisbane 2032.
The emblem and mascot are separate elements of the Games’ identity. The official mascot will be revealed closer to the Games, and organisers have not yet confirmed what character will take that role.
The mascot debate has already begun. Olympics Minister Tim Mander was asked about the possibility of Brisbane’s famously ubiquitous ibis, or “bin chicken”, becoming the mascot. He quickly ruled it out.
“I can guarantee you, I'm sorry, it won't be the bin chicken,” Mander said, prompting some boos at the emblem launch.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Schrinner, meanwhile, floated the possibility of having more than one mascot, asking: “Why limit ourselves to just one (mascot)?” Federal Sport Minister Anika Wells said Bluey was a popular suggestion during her school visits around Australia.
For now, though, the cockatoo owns Brisbane 2032.
The emblem gives the Games their first major visual identity, one built around an Australian bird, Queensland’s shape and the cultural character of the host region.
The cockatoo may have arrived earlier than planned, but Brisbane now has its first unmistakable symbol for the 2032 Games. And with the mascot still to come, another piece of the Games’ identity is waiting to take flight.