Tuesday, June 12, 2007

That bloody logo


I can resist no longer in commenting on the disastrous logo for the London Olympics (designed by top brand consultancy Wolff Ollins). The funniest thing I have heard about it is that it represents the act of fellatio (the giver on the right, the recipient on the left, the pleasured member the dot in the middle).

We've heard that its jaggedy-graffiti style form is harking back to early 1980's design culture, which is apparently en vogue in the design world. Sounds like a bad case of designer-narcissism to me. If they'd done even a teeny bit of user testing (via focus groups or on the street stuff), they would have quickly found out that the design simply does not work and that people do not like it. From a formal perspective, the 2012 is hard to read (creating sub-conscious cognitive confusion); the olympic rings and 'london' sit awkwardly together, and the font for london looks amateurish. It would have been much better going for a slightly conservative but polished looking logo, rather than a bunch of 40-somethings straining at the bit to be down with the kids.. As it is, it appears we are stuck with it for the next 5 years. Bah!

14 comments:

Benin Libran..Uncut 12:20 pm  

yup! in concur! the logo is CRAP! even a kindergaten kid's scribble looks better than that and you can get it for free! the £400k was/is just a scam! The designer of the logo probably got his 2 yr old to design it!

seb coe & tessa jowell shud be flogged!

Anonymous,  1:42 pm  

Whatever, its main aim is to be a popular symbol of the olympics and any press is good press, it has acheived what i beliee was its goal and is on the cover of magazines, newspapers, and blogs everywhere!!

Its different and will in the end be appreciated when the storm calms, i say they should keep it!!

Especially now that 5 years before the Olympics it is probably the most popular symbol out there!!!

Anonymous..Olu :)

Fred 3:15 pm  

Logo design is not easy, but that thing's terrible, I agree.
What are the design houses in Europe up to these days? They seem to be turning out crap-a-plenty, viz. the last world cup.

36 INCHES OF BROWN LEGS 3:53 pm  

that cost 400k!!!!! r u kidding me?? my 4 yr old niece would have done a better job!!!

Christian Writer 4:59 pm  

Leave our logo alone. I'm sure it'll look better on the official merchandise. Just imagine the whistles of appreciation you'll get walking down the street in a pair of specially commissioned 2012 logo-ed trainers

Moni 5:41 pm  

I'm w/ Olu. It accomplished the goal and is more memorable than any of the recent Olympic logos.

Anonymous,  6:02 pm  

to Moni..

Thank you, you seem to be the only one who knows the purpose of branding/Marketing.

Has it not getten all your attentions!!

The bottom line is its popular and its popularity will keeping on growing.

I say congratulations to the designers for creating a "groundbreaking and memorable" logo!!

Olu...

RJ 7:16 pm  

Is it me or does it look a little like the swastika?

Moni 7:35 pm  

Speaking of marketing / branding / advertising / pr...
I came across this funny comic the other day. :)

Yuliya 9:38 pm  

I agree the logo is inappropriate, but if you look through "grassroots" ones you'll hardly find many worthy logos http://www.london2012.com/joinin/create/gallery/

Morountodun 12:34 am  

They spent 400 thousand pounds on commissioning the logo and in recent surveys over 67% of respondents have not liked it. But it has certainly caught the nations attention...

supermandru 2:09 pm  

i see pieces of broken glass!! ...and ugliness.

Anonymous,  9:06 pm  

"The logo will grow on us" said they.

@rj - "The swastika gets a makeover" says I

jadedjune 1:33 pm  

The logo is crap....simple as.... and for 400,000k.....i could have done a better job.

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