You can't please everyone...

Well there seems to be a big debate at the moment about the new London 2012 Olympic logo. So i thought i'd my tuppence worth.

It appears that nobody likes the logo and i have to agree. Designing a logo for such a global event must be very tricky. You have to create a logo mark which will appeal to a global audience and take it's place in history.

I think this is where they got lost in the conception of this mark. Before the launch, Sebastian Coe was talking up the launch and how it will be the launch of a brand. Now marketing has it's place but it's the first time i've heard them use the word to describe the olympics. It's odd as Mr Coe, who is an athlete is trying to talk like a brand consultant.
While it's admirable that they are trying to create something different, i think they lost site of what the event itself was about.
The event promotes sporting elegance, the unifying of the world and celebration.
I think the current logo makes no reference to that and the only way you can tell it's for the olympics is the small inclusion of the rings.
I don't think the colour palette references sport either.

The current defenders of the logo say it's aimed at kids, but surely this isn't the only audience of the games. They also say it's designed for the new media age. But somehow i don't see getting into sport, and sitting at your computer as a natural progression!

It seems the brief for the logo was this is London lets create something different, modern and stands out.
Commendable but i think it could have been achieved in a much simpler way.

I also find it strange that Wolff-Olins the creators of the logo are being quiet, but given the critiscim, who could blame them.
Maybe people will come to like it by 2012 but all in all i think it will be remembered as the logo that tried to be different..

On the point of sporting logos, here a a few of my favorites.

From a design perspective i think the Munich 72 mark is a good example.
Designed by Otl Aicher the logo evokes the time, and the whole branding of the games was insightful and colourful.
Take a look at some of the graphics here.

With it's reference to Greek mythology, I also quite like the recent Champions League 07 logo.

From a nostalgic point of view the Mexico 86 world cup logo sticks out. Through trawling the sport logo archives, you'll notice all the sporting events held in Mexico used the same font.