London 2012 Olympic Logo

[belleisle]

This topic was imported from the Typophile platform

I live and work in London as a designer, and am appalled by the just revealed choice of logo design for the 2012 Olympics.

I think it is a massive error of judgement by all concerned. It does not in the least reflect any design values that belong to London, and instead looks like the Olympic organisation is breaking up/smashed

It goes without saying that this is one of the premier commisions any designer could ever want, and is a travisty to the design talent that exists in the UK (london).

Can anyone be positive about this?

 

[mili]

Hmm, can't say I like it very much.

On their website the logo is explaned:
"The new Olympic emblem is based on the number 2012 - the year the Games take place and includes the Olympic Rings and the word London." – I didn't see the numbers at first!
Apparently there are four colour versions of the logo, pink, blue, green and orange.

And more:
"Launching the brand at the Roundhouse in North London, London 2012 Chair Seb Coe said: "London 2012 will be 'Everyone's Games', everyone's 2012. This is the vision at the very heart of our brand."

http://main.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2007/June/2007-06-04-12-06.htm

[Matt Squire]

Working in the Branding industry I cannot help but feel that this logo is a real let down. Years are spent on the bidding process and pitching phases with regards to just hosting the games.

I remember an article by Bruno Maag in creative review about the importance of the olympics and how it should be treated with more respect. The Olympic games is a worldwide event and is a chance for countries to basically tell the world a little about themselves, their attitudes, their beliefs, their tradition, in an exciting way.

I can understand what the logo is trying to do, trying to appeal to the younger generation by using the graffitti look and the bright colours but further than this it really seems to miss the whole point.

The logo is just the tip of the ice berg, it is a mark that is used to farmiliarise people with the brand. Below this there is a need for marketing, advertising, print material, films and novelty items such as flags, leaflets etc. If this is the standard that will dictate the design of these elements then I can only hope they take into consideration and try to understand a little of where the rest of the british people are coming from.

[Matt Squire]

You can view the film here and some of the people own designs are quite interesting.

http://www.london2012.com/

[ChuckGroth]

the mark itself is kind of an interesting 'tangram' play on the year, but it's so GENERIC... it seems like they were waiting to see what city would be awarded the games, and they would plug in the name in as non-descipt a manner as possible.

oh well. there's always 2016.

[belleisle]

No the logo has beeen designed in the last year, to replace the bid logo.

In addition to my earlier rant, I understand the goals of the bid, 'everyones London' everybody getting off their backsides and getting motivated to become active and healthy.

The brand films are in fact quite good, its just the aesthetic of the logo is very very poor, and for that there is no excuse.

PS. On other websites, people are saying it looks like Lisa Simpson perferming oral sex! - The '0' and second '2'

[aluminum]

Maybe it's purely coincidental, but I immediately got a brit-punk vibe from it:

http://www.bside-rock.com/IMG/jpg/London-Calling.jpg

Is it appropriate? I dunno. But different. Sometimes different is good.

EDIT: and now after watching the video, I get a brit-new-wave vibe.

I thought the video was great. I'm liking the logo now. It's definitely different. I think that's a good thing. I think it definitely has a london vibe to it. Slightly retro, but updated.

[Florian Hardwig]

Lisa Simpson? Omg! Well, I didn’t recognize the ciphers either—what I saw was rather some moustached villain in a trenchcoat wth turned-up collars, who sprang from the Maus comic, with London on his mind.

[Florian Hardwig]

@ aluminium: The colors say Sex Pistols, not The Clash. ;)

[sch2525]

You've got to be kidding. It's amazing how much the logos change from the bid to the actual games logo. Why not keep the same identity?

[belleisle]

Lot of very unhappy Londoners...

Online petition - Change The London 2012 Logo

[G T]

I heard the lisa simpson thing also.

Its trying to be New-Rave, so some trendy young hoxtonite has jammed the current musical influences into the design. Don't hate it but doesn't say much about London, England, or the olympics, it just seems stylized towards a current musical scene which is particular to here (london).

[NigellaL]

It's bollocks.

[pbaber]

Dire.

[clauses]

Number five is pretty good: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6719747.stm

[Duckworth]

It's a stinker. It looks, well, 80s-looking; it's just naff. I bet the design brief said 'must look vibrant and appealing'. I have to admit that I thought the Thames 'ribbon' bid logo was as bad as it got. Ouch.

Well, not everything can be a portfolio piece!

[joeking_tp]

First thoughts - awful.
I kept looking at it and then saw the jagged 2012 numerals. A bit less awful.
It seems to be breaking up. Fragmented, choppy, sharp, what's the point of the offset yellow drop shadow?

[ChuckGroth]

I loved the Evolution of Man graphic at the bottom of number 5!

[Chris Dean]

Please tell me you're kidding ... the number "five" I see (pasted below) is positively hideous -- and insanely unusable as a logo.

[Toby]

I think it looks like sh*t.. looks like a guy who´s just been shot in the stomach

[Si_Daniels]

The zero looks like Australia, no?

>It’s bollocks.

Nevermind...

[do]

whilst the logo should reflect contemporary London (which to some extent this does) it shouldn't lose sight of the city's heritage - and there is no trace of this in the logo. It smacks of '2007' NME culture - new rave, the Klaxons, glow sticks etc...

also has an unccany resemblance to the jagged interlocking shapes of the typeface used for the Arctic Monkeys recent 'Brianstorm' single:

[ChuckGroth]

of course i was kidding. it's horrible! (and i was joking about the evolution graphic at the bottom, too)

[Joe Pemberton]

Number 11 Rules! (Referring to the alternates in the BBC article.)

The final mark takes a lot of risks, that the otherwise safe (too conservative) execution does not support it or payoff the risks and the result is bad. The "brand video" they produced is the most interesting piece, but the logo itself doesn't live up to it. The site design as a component of the whole brand picture is also a let down. The Duplo color palette is carried through, but because of the lack of interesting composition there's no connection to the energy in the video.

The London Olympics, as established by the logo and the brand site, is now a low budget, kids television program.

[John Hudson]

The brand video is at least a fine example of truth in advertising: in 2012 every aspect of London life is going to be frenetically invaded by the Olympics, and the logo is a good warning sign not to bother visiting London that year.