Am I the only one who’s low-key itching to collect these?
Paris has long held the title of the “City of Love,” so it’s easy to guess things might get a little steamy in the Olympic Village this year. Let’s be honest: the so-called “sex ban” reportedly in place for Tokyo 2020 was never gonna work in France. So it’s no surprise that more than 300,000 condoms have been handed out to athletes in the Village this time around.
But let’s set that aside for a second—let’s talk about the packaging. Athletes have been taking to social media to show off what’s in their Olympic Village “swag bags,” and the design for these condoms? It’s actually pretty amazing. In fact, it puts even the best Olympic logos to shame; those logos look totally boring in comparison.
This year’s Olympic mascots, the Phryges, haven’t exactly been fan favorites when it comes to branding. But now? They’ve finally found their niche—and it’s pretty fitting, honestly. Let’s be real, most people think the Phryges look like clitorises, so putting them on condom packaging makes weirdly perfect sense. Cartoon depictions of the mascots come with taglines that push for safety and consent, too: things like “You don’t need to be a gold medalist to wear one” and “On the field of love, play fair—ask for consent.”
“The packaging is really spectacular!” Daniel Smith, the director of the Olympic Village, told People. He added that while condoms are handed out all around the Village, they’re also stocked in the “Athlete Resource Center”—a space he describes as “for athletes only, where they can take as many as they need.”
Let’s not forget: while the Olympics are obviously a huge highlight for sports fans, they’re also usually a total design showcase. Though it’s worth noting that not everyone has exactly followed the International Olympic Committee’s strict brand guidelines this year.
