At the end of this month, Spain’s capital Madrid sees the continent’s best players compete at the 2022 European Championships. The official logo has been released – an eye-catching bear and shuttlecock, but what is the meaning behind it?
The famous Bear and Strawberry Tree symbol has been the crest of Madrid since the Middle Ages. The reason for this is theorised to be due to Madrid originally being called ‘Ursa’, meaning bear, after the surrounding forest area being a frequent spot for bears.
Within this forest, there are the "madroño" trees that have fruit growing which closely resembles strawberries. Just like that, the well-known and iconic symbol for Spain’s capital city was born.
The 29th edition of the European Championships is returning to the Iberian Peninsula after the 2018 European Championships in Huelva, southwestern Spain.
The design of the logo
With Madrid warmly welcoming Badminton Europe’s flagship event of the year, it is only natural to infuse a bit of the city with badminton. The logo will be spread far and wide online and all over the city, so getting the right blend that represents the event, sport and local culture is crucial.
One of the main attractions in the city is the sculpture of the Bear and Strawberry Tree where thousands of people take photos every day. It is a work by the sculptor Antonio Navarro Santafé that was inaugurated on January 10, 1967.
Since then, it has always been in the emblematic Puerta del Sol, the most well-known square in Madrid. The four-metre tall statue is made of bronze and stone, and weighs about 20 tons, resting on a cube-shaped pedestal made of granite.
The sculpture represents ‘resilience’ and ‘strength’ for the people of Madrid.
In badminton, the core iconic image is the shuttlecock. A cone-shaped aerodynamic projectile, which inspired the ‘SpaceShipOne’, is made up of seventeen feathers from the left wing of a goose inserted around a cork covered with a layer of leather. Its weight is usually just five grams but getting it over the net and into your opponent’s court is the aim of the game. As everyone soon realises – it’s harder than you think!
The logo has been designed by You Comunicación, a design and photography studio that aimed to connect at a glance the character of the people of Madrid with the spirit of the fans of badminton. Hence the logo includes the iconic stance of the powerful yet resourceful bear foraging for ‘strawberries’ against the strong and recognisable image of the shuttlecock.
The countdown begins toward the biggest event on the European calendar. Fans are looking forward to the 2022 European Championships, 25-30 April. Watch all the live action on www.badmintoneurope.tv.
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