London 2012 Logo
June 5th, 2007Well it seems like everyone is talking about the new logo for the 2012 Olympics in London so I guess I’ll add in my 2 cents. Even though I’m not crazy about it I do love that they took a chance and did something risky instead of the same old sports style logo that we always see. I like the idea behind it but in my opinion it’s hard to read and the typeface just isn’t doing it for me. I get what feeling they’re trying to get accross here with the type, but I think there are much better options out there to choose from. The colors are working for me and the site feels really nice, but it does have a very trendy “the 80’s are back” feel to it all that won’t last forever. Good idea, but execution. You have to give credit to Wolff Ollins for being so brave. It’s definitely not boring.
It is silly how everyone is London is flipping out over this logo. They have even started a petition to have it redesigned. Stupid. Just accept it and over time you will get use to it.
Mr C
The London 2012 logo’s is a disgrace. It says nothing about the richness and vibrancy of this great city.People over here a really angry about this. It’s all right for you to get philosphical, as you live in the States. However, I’m a Londoner and have to pay for this shameful example of pseudo intellectual ‘emperor’s new clothes’ corporate crap.
Antonio
Hey man I wasn’t insulting any Londoners so no need to insult me. All I’m saying is that in the end it’s just a logo and there’s no need to get all bent out of shape over it. There are much more serious things in this world.
Jw
Lets hope it grows on everyone over the next five years, eh?
Thinking about it, Sports logos are almost 100% missed opportunities. Superbowl logos just make me sad– they have real opportunties to do something great, especially with, say, Superbowl XXX and Superbowl XL, and we get the same overly-bubbly, mock-collegiate, pennant swooping nonsense.
World Cup and Olypmic logos are almost always bad, so I don’t really see this one as an exception. Oh, how I’d love an exception, though.
Antonio
JW, I agree about the sports logos and that was my point about this logo. Even though it wasn’t a good execution the idea and the bravery behind it should be applauded.
Lee Harding
the reason everyone in London is flipping out over this logo (including me) is that we have to put up with clueless people making these boardroom decisions that have no bearing on what we as Londoners are about.
This logo is supposed to represent us to the rest of the world
So id say that its a pretty good reason for ‘flipping out’ were it your home town id hope that you would feel the same.
apathy and ‘sitting on the fence’ is generally more destructive than voicing an opinion.
‘accept it and over time you will get used to it’ — they say the same about prison.
sports logos can be good — just look to past olympics emblems :
http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1972S_emblem_b.jpg
http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1968S_emblem_b.jpg
each having a good solid meaning to the design, not just ‘because its bold’ — the mexico 68 for example was a collaboration between the indigenous Huichol tribes and the olympic design team — it was about the history of mexico combined with the contemporary — and all from a third-world country in the sixties. That was brave.
to put out a logo like this is not brave — just insulting.
keep up the blog — love it.
Lee
DC
Is it really “brave” to design a brand (it’s not a logo!) that no one connects with, is difficult to read, fails entirely to get the point of the Olympics across and whose associated video failed the Harding FPA test (the test designed to detect whether or not it could cause an epileptic fit)?
Brave is not the word I would use.
Oh, and the fact that it looks like Lisa Simpson performing a lewd act doesn’t do it a great deal of favours either…
Fausty
I personally don’t love the logo, but I do like the color and change of pace. It’s nice to see worldwide discussion about a piece of design! Great post friend!
Antonio
DC, I do agree that it fails in a lot of ways but it was a ballsy move. You gotta give them that.
Also it is a logo which is part of an overall brand.
Antonio
Lee,
I’m glad you dig the blog, thanks for the kind words.
There have been some amazing Olympic logos, two of which you already linked to, but it does seem that the more recent ones have been boring. I do understand where you guys are coming from and it’s a valid point that you address. I would probably be pissed off if they created a lame ass brand for NYC.
Nathan
I love it it reminds me of the new rave scene thts comin into the uk right now tis great and no im not some merican i am english and i am from the london area
Chris
Nathan:
Gah. This isn’t some crazy rave coming to town. This is the Olympic fucking games. As such the identity should reflect this in some manner. If a logo is so gravely detached from its audence, then it is useless.