F1 Korean Grand Prix 2010

The outline of the official Brand Identity which will represent the Formula One Korean Grand Prix starting in 2010 has been made public.

Yung Cho Chung, Chief Executive Officer of KAVO (Korea Auto Valley Operation) held a press conference in Seoul on March 19th and announced a final basic plan of BI having the function of official emblem and logo of the event.

The basic design idea of the official BI resembles the Korean National Flag.

The flag of South Korea, or Taegeukgi, has three parts: a white background, a red and blue taegeuk (taijitu or "yin-yang") in the centre, and four black trigrams, one in each corner of the flag. The white background symbolizes "cleanliness of the people." The taegeuk represents the origin of all things in the universe, holding the two principles of "Yin," the negative aspect rendered in blue, and "Yang," the positive aspect rendered in red, in perfect balance. Together, they represent a continuous movement within infinity, the two merging as one. The four trigrams are related to the Five Elements of fire, water, earth wood, and metal. An analogy could also be drawn with the four western classical elements; Fire earth, air, and water.

The unveiled Brand Identity basically consists of red and black colours, with the image embedding an F1 car next to the title "F1 Korean Grand Prix 2010."

The four "Trigram" (divination) arranged on the four edges of the Korean National Flag are embodied in the tire shape of the F1 car, emphasizing the unique Korean image. Especially, the image of four Trigrams is slanted by 30 degrees similar to the Taegeuk Flag, reflecting Korean sensitivity and at the same time describing the speediness of a racing car.

The four Trigram, embracing the four edges of Taeguk Gi symbolizing the Korean National flag, are called "Geon, Gon, Gam, Ri," and represent the sky, earth, moon and sun respectively. Wind, a new visual element meaning the sensation of speed, has been added to the brand identity of the F1 Korean Grand Prix. All of this attempts to achieve a delicate balance between Eastern and Western cultures.

The red and black colours used in the basic plan have been chosen on the basis of an opinion survey, which shows that they are colours easily evoking F1. The red colour, with the image of the Taeguk Circle, symbolizes the charm of passionate F1. The black colour means the dignity of F1, which is one of the world's three great sports events.

"F1 Korea has achieved a unique machine line, not found in any other F1 hosting nation's, as a result of using Taeguk and Four Trigram as a theme, which are symbols native to Korea," said a KAVO official, adding: "The unique machine line will be promoted as a strong image and icon representing F1 Korean Grand Prix in the future."

The brand identity of the F1 Korean Grand Prix is being highly evaluated as it represents the sports of people all over the world, with its unique Korean elements in terms of design. This BI will be continuously produced in diversified forms of design and shown to 600 million F1 fans over the world as well as domestic fans.

KAVO intends to use its new Brand Identity as an official image of the F1 Korean Grand Prix and to utilize it in developing various merchandising goods.