Olympic Logo: What do you think?
The new logo for the 2012 London Olympics has elicited an amazing amount of controversy. According to Jacque Rogge, President of International Olympic Committee, “this is a truly innovative brand logo that graphically captures the essence of the London 2012 Olympic Games — namely to inspire young people around the world through sport and the Olympic values.” According to many others it is an atrocious symbol that should be immediately scrapped. According to an article in the Times Online by Robert Booth, “The logo, designed by Wolff Olins, a London branding agency, and approved by Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, was launched to almost universal disdain”. Personally, I am still trying to digest it. My first impression is that it is shockingly unattractive, and reminiscent of post-punk eighties graphics. I’m trying very hard to be open minded and see if it grows on me…but so far, it’s not working! I wonder what you think? I’d love some feedback…especially if you can defend it!
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I too was initially shocked by how bad it looked and wanted to give it some time to grow on me. I tried to calm my collegues (most of them British) and telll them it wasn’t so bad. But I soon realized that there was not one thing about the logo I could defend. The shapes. The composition. The typography. All terrible examples of our craft.
It is surprising to me that London would come up with something so aweful. I think of Londoners as having generally great taste in design. But I felt the same way about the 2006 World Cup logo. That thing was scary it was so bad. Compare that the the Munich Olympics logo of 1972, which is a design classic, and it makes you wonder what’s happening over there.
Has Europe lost it’s sense of taste? or is it design by committee gone terribly wrong?
Josh:
That was a low blow, Josh. Maybe Londoners are simply way ahead of us with their Neo-Retro-PostPunk-ModernDeconstructive design!
Nevertheless…here’s the latest update: It causes epyleptic fits!
I read a Reuters story on The Age Online that cracked me up. According to the article, they had to pull an animation of the logo off the air because, the Charity Epilepsy Action announced that, “there had been reports that people had had seizures while watching the animated footage”.
Check out the article.
Case closed. If a design causes people to have fits, then it has to be bad.
It’s pure garbage. I feel comfortable bashing this as a brand marketer, a brit, and an athlete (not claiming to be an olympian)!! It makes me embarrassed for England, and the olympic committee. They’ve got 4.5 years to come up with something better….. startingggg… NOW!
Simply bashing the logo isn’t helping. What exactly is wrong with it? First, the number it’s trying to express is practically illegible. Second, it doesn’t carry any symbolism about sport or internationalism. Third, it doesn’t hold together as a single image—though its shapes are strong and energetic, they look like they’re either at war with each other or are about to fall down. Fourth, in-your-face neon pink? Wolff Olins can do better.
The logo is an accurate depiction of the state of international diplomacy! We’re all poking each other at odd angles. But, hey, isn’t the Olympics about bringing the world together?
Well it appears I’m a bit late to this party, but I’ll chime in anyway. I think it’s funny that everyone is so passionate about the host city Olympic logo. Nobody else seemed to care in the past. I went to the 2002 games and I had to search online what the hell it was. There were about 50 other symbols for the games, not to mention all the cute little animal mascots… Let’s not forget, the real logo is the rings. Yes, some (host city logos) are better than others, but unfortunately none of us will know the true evolution of this identity, as we were not privileged to the meetings with the Olympic committee. Josh, that Munich logo gave me an epileptic fit just now after I had to look it up again - I’m just now recovering. Mexico 68 was just as mind-bending. How is LA 84 any less schizophrenic? What are we all looking for? Big Ben, meets St, Paul’s cathedral meets Westminster Abbey? I personally have fond memories of Piccadilly Circus with all the punks. BTW, I hear the logo is being revamped, and you know what that means… let’s add some lifestyle photography to it and make it more personable. My take? Everyone is just jealous that they didn’t get the £400,000 payday.
You may be late to parties, but in true Sean Baker style, once you show up at a party you catch up fast!
Hey Alfredo….great blog. Here are my impressions:
1st - Is the world really cracking up?
2nd - How did it turn pink?
3rd - The jagged edges are scaring me.
and finally, that’s a number?
It’s so ugly that is
The new logo for the 2012 London Olympics isn’t
really a logo at all! Shame on Wolff Olins,
the London branding agency,
Upon first glance the colors were so off… at least give it a Betsey Johnson feel…God Save the Queen!!! Then it became someone’s bad attempt at a Keith Haring Graphic piece that does not really have any British/Olympic/Sport association or appeal…but hey..I am just an average jane looking at this and am not in the graphics industry!