London 2012 Logo

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London 2012 Logo

London 2012 - Worst. Logo. Ever.
Good thing I didn't get a job with this lot who designed it, I would have resigned today. But it can be saved. I have made a few, very small changes, to make it more "London".

My eyes. They bleed!

Scratching my head over this one I'm afraid.

Better the 80s than the late 90s internet celebrities (the beeb even put that one on tv).

The logo Could Trigger Seizures.

"we have taken immediate steps to remove the animation from the website."

If only this applied to... Every Website

Ugh.. if anyone saw the governator when clicking my links please try again. I've added forthemasses.net to my anti-leech script now.

Yeah in my humble opinion that's barely average. Wolff-olins, what gives?
Design by committee maybe? Can't think of any other explanation on how that could have come to be the final result.
Looks like the titles to a really bad 80's surf culture b-movie.

One positive.. wouldv been a quick job to do

hmm logo def looks better with white/sketchy outline when used in the motion/video stuff tho, the pink/yellow thing is whats scary i think...

meeting room banter:

"..right. we want it bright fellas, fluro is back and we want a slice of it, and you know, it needs a touch of that graffiti type stuff that the kiddies like, you know hip hop and all that, lets show the world we're not grey dull fuddys"

Talking with a young coms person this morning about the logo.
yc: "Yeah, but the 80s are in at the moment"
me: "Will the 80s still be in during 2012?"
yc: "mmm, good point"

Interesting comments - Blackspade has a fairly good idea of what seems to have happened over here... Seems quite clear that it has been created to appeal to a younger market, and it certainly does reflect an aspect of the Shoreditch nu-rave fashion and music scene which is pretty huge here in London right now. I wonder how relevant this look and feel will be in 5 years time, considering the logo seems to only reflect a 'current trend' instead of being a timeless, versatile mark.

It's true that in the past olympic logos have often used as an indication of the state of contemporary design at the time - take the logo created for the 1968 Olympics http://www.answers.com/topic/1968-mexico-city-olympics-logo-gif
It became a icon for graphic design at the time. It seems very shallow of Wolf Ollins, and the Olympic Comittee have opted to appeal to simply a 'current trend' instead of producing something which reflects the multi-cultural event which is the Olympic Games. £400,000 for such a narrow minded vision?

But you've got to hand it to them from a marketing perspective. I'd never even heard of London 2012 until this logo came out, but the whole world is talking about it now. Here's hoping that this is all part of the £400,000 fee -- they actually have two logos, one to stir interest and controversy, and one really nice one that they will whip out after the outcry ;)

mmm yes very clever from the marketing perspective oo goody about a nice one! I have enjoyed the surprise and look forward to another! Have had enough of big time fuddy duddys - go crazy!

@PipProd - I ws only hoping they had a second logo. I very much doubt they actually do though :\

the 80's will nevar die!!!!! nevar!!!

Still with 400 thousand POUNDS in their pocket I'm sure they can have a nice long holiday while they wait for the heat to calm down...oh wait only 300,000, they spent 100,000 on the launch party! (maybe they could spend some of the $ on a decent website ha!)
Wolf Ollins now remind me of Dr.Evil ...I'm hip, I'm 'with it', I'm down with the young people. hmm yes

I totally agree...

...with this http://coudal.com/olympics.php

I think it's brilliant. Love it

I hate it as much as anyone, but the pricetag wont be going straight into the designers pocket. They will most likely have designed every piece of collateral as well. Signage, uniforms, wayfinding systems, tickets, etc...

The TV One branding cost is much worse.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/art/2007/06/how_lisa_simpson_took_the_olym.html

(stolen from newstoday.com)

hahahahahha

Well, let's face it. Given the budget, I'd expect a little more. It might not be the prettiest logo out there, but it's stirring up a hornets nest here :) Perhaps they presented the power point mock-ups and the design committee loved it so much they ran with it. Let's face it, in the land of the meteorologically grey London, this logo is eye candy smack like heroin is to a junkie. I mean look at the colours, so vibrant!

Yikes James... You would have resigned from Wolff-Olins?!?!?!

You do know who "that lot" are right? And the quality of work they produce, their history and years of amazing work?

The new olympics logo is as deliberate as it is polarising. To assume the outcome is due to incompetence is pretty naive.

I think the more people learn about the branding, and consider its role and objective, the more they will come to terms with the fact that its a brave and irreverent move that is surely risky and exciting. As a designer I have huge respect for that, and for an organisation clearly demonstrates capability, and didn't decided to tow the line this time.

Fortune favours the brave...

I looked at Wolff-Olins site. Among their classic logos they have a load of crummy recent work. Could it be possible that, a) They're a large company that employs designers of varying talent. b) Some of the designers that created their old work have since retired ?

You only have to look at their website design to see the inconsistency in their design ethos. It's pretty funny about the "Emperor's new clothes" effect they have based on the recognition of their own name. Even funnier that designers can buy into the same non thinking identity association trip that they as professionals are paid to create (do you have designer friends who only buy Huffer clothes?).

Logos are meant to be instantly appealing and liked by as much of the target market as possible, especially in the case of the Olympics where there is a lot of money to be circulated. You're not supposed to learn to like logos. That's ridiculous.

It's naive to try to justify their 2012 logo as a deliberate attempt to appeal on some sort of roundabout cutting-edge intellectual understanding -- And 'ironically hip' isn't new or interesting.

"Even funnier that designers can buy into the same non thinking identity association trip that they as professionals are paid to create (do you have designer friends who only buy Huffer clothes?)."

I think you do designery types a disservice by suggesting they buy expensive clothes without thinking or because they are traveling blindly on an "identity association trip". Lots of different people buy Huffer for lots of different reasons. I bought some a long time ago because I personally related to their skate roots. Others buy it for its Nu Zulland-ness, others still for its aesthetic, others again for its function. I've no doubt that some buy it because its cool to be seen in it. Their prerogative.

At a complete guess I'd say there's probably some who do it unthinkingly as you suggest, but given the price tag I'd say most purchasers think long and hard.

Sounds like you need to get over your pet peeve and get yourself this season's puffy jacket. You know you want it ;)

Back on topic, I completely agree with you regarding the logo. I think though that you can learn to like a logo, but only if it's any good. It still has to be instantly aesthetically pleasing, just that given time to think about it you may uncover hidden meanings and cleverness that wasn't instantly obvious (the Fed Ex logo for example).

You just repeated Huffer's entire brand identity marketing pitch in your second paragraph! Unbelievable! I actually cant believe it.. I'm lost for words. I had to read it 5 times to make sure it wasn't some kind of genius satirical rhetoric and you were actually agreeing with me.

"The Emperors New Clothes" is the pimp manifesto for designers. Read it. Understand it. Know the game. So you dont end up being a ho.

.. No I don't want a puffy jacket.

Oh shit son! There's more brought to you by Wolff Olins. It's Wacoms new logo!! Complete with early 2000s internet bust typeface, more whack ass colours and a symbol people are referring to as, "COLOUR THING!!!"

http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/that_wacky_wacom.php

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