Glasgow-based product design company 4c Design Limited has today (Tuesday, 28th May) been revealed as designers of the iconic Queen’s Baton that will visit all 71 competing Commonwealth Nations and Territories ahead of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is a tradition unique to the Games and seeks to unite the two billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace. 

Glasgow 2014’s baton will itself make history by being the first to visit Rwanda as the relay covers an epic 190,000 km over 288 days. 

Set up in 2002, 4c Design Limited has an established record as a leader in the fields of product design and product design engineering. The innovative design culture for which the consultancy is celebrated will now be applied to this unique commission to produce a confident symbol that will lead the way to Glasgow 2014.

The Queen’s Baton project will be led by William Mitchell, 4c Design Director, who has more than 15 years of experience since graduating from Glasgow School of Art with a BA (Hons) in Product Design. He will lead a team of specialist designers including Managing Director of 4c Design Limited, Robin Smith, a graduate in Product Design Engineering from the GSA.

Weighing no more than 2kg, the baton must be robust enough to withstand all weathers and various transport modes in order to be in constant working order for the 10-month period of the relay.

The baton will be unveiled later this summer and begins its journey on 9 October at Buckingham Palace when Her Majesty The Queen will place Her message to the Commonwealth inside. From there, the baton will travel to Glasgow and begin its epic worldwide journey.

From the plains of Africa to the gleaming skyscrapers of Singapore; from the tiny tropical islands of St Lucia and Dominica to Canada’s snow-capped mountain; the baton will take over land, sea and air before travelling the length and breadth of Scotland on its way to its final destination – the Glasgow 2014 Opening Ceremony. (see also http://www.gameonscotland.org/glasgow2014/about/queensbatonrelay.asp)

Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, David Grevemberg, said:

“The Queen’s Baton Relay is one of the greatest traditions of the Commonwealth Games. The baton itself is a powerful symbol of the unity and diversity of the 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth, which is home to one third of the world’s population.

“Glasgow 2014’s Queen’s Baton Relay is Scotland’s heartfelt invitation to the athletes, people and communities of the Commonwealth to come together and celebrate sport, culture and unity through the power of the Games.

“The Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton will be unique and inspiring and we want it capture the imagination of the public in Glasgow, Scotland, the Home Nations and beyond.

“Glasgow 2014 is delighted to appoint 4c Design Limited to design the Queen’s Baton for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and I look forward to the company creating a baton that will take Glasgow and Scotland to the Commonwealth in an inspiring way.”

4c Design Limited Director and Owner, William Mitchell, said:

“The team at 4c Design have a passion for product design and engineering excellence, and as such we truly believe there is no better home for what is potentially the most exciting design brief of the decade.

“We are delighted that the Glasgow 2014 team has appointed 4c Design to design, engineer and manufacture the Queen’s Baton for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“Teamwork has been crucial to the development of the baton and it’s been a master class in creative collaboration with the professional and receptive team at Glasgow 2014.

“Very few agencies can include Her Majesty in their client list and we intend to do her, and this innovative and exciting city proud.”

Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport Shona Robison said:

“Every Games baton is unique and 4c Design Limited now has the honour of designing a small piece of Glasgow to carry the Queen’s message to two billion people around the Commonwealth.”

For more information on this story go to : http://www.glasgow2014.com/press-releases/glasgow-2014-goes-local-design-and-produce-queens-baton-global-journey