The London 2012 Olympic logo, and other cubist disasters

Published on 8/6/07 in Sports

What the hell were they thinking? Call that a logo? Seriously?

I don't think I'm putting too heavy a spin on this in saying that I could create a better logo than this with my trusty MS Paint. Whilst drunk. And in the midst of a crushingly debilitating seizure. And believe me, I'm no graphic designer.

Here's what bothers me, though - presumably the London 2012 organizers did employ a graphic designer, who wasn't drunk or epileptic. And I can't imagine that it would have been cheap. There would have been tenders, and meetings, and selection committees. It would have taken three or four months minimum, with a team working long hours. And after that long and exhaustive process, ladies and gentlemen, this logo is what they came up with.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the chairperson of the organizing committee simply said, 'My ten year old daughter did us up a logo on my laptop while I was driving her to school this morning. I propose we buy her a dozen Krispy Kremes to show our gratitude, and we stick the remaining two million pound logo budget on our bar tab at the Sail and Anchor. All in favor? Carried!'

And looking at the final result, which looks like across between a birthday party napkin that's been used to mop up a spilled soda and an origamist's worst nightmare, I have to think that this is exactly the way it played out.

What bothers me most, though, is the link at the top of the official London 2012 webpage. It says, Create your own design. In other words, "Even after all this, we still don't think it's better than something Joe Public could create. On MS Paint." Which, if you follow the link, you'll see that a number of Brits have done. And done better. Much, much better.

And let's not even start on how much they must have paid the web designers for the London2012 website...

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12 Comments

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JaneCopland

Some genius on Reddit observed that the logo looked like Lisa Simpson administering a blow-job, and I have to agree. Written on 8/6/07

My Comment:

blitzhund

The Metro (a free paper here) held a contest to see what interesting pictures folks could come up with by moving about the different pieces. The Triceratops taking a crap was my favorite. Written on 11/6/07

My Comment:

scottieJ

As a graphic designer....I want £400,000 (USD$800,000) (the reported budget for that logo...which makes me want to vomit in my mouth) to design a piece of shit. I've done branding MUCH better then that for MUCH less money. AND the commercials in London are causing seizures! I would also like to design something that would give people seizures. Written on 8/6/07

My Comment:

JaneCopland

And you'd use more than MS Paint, too! Written on 8/6/07

My Comment:

scottieJ

I don't even think I have MS Paint..... Written on 11/6/07

My Comment:

DrunkClown

Now come on. What could make people want to come to London for the Olympics more than a smashed pink swastika?

Personally, I intend to be out of the country for the whole shambles. We don't do big spectacles here in Britain, we do crappy weather and frequent cups of tea. Written on 9/6/07

My Comment:

JaneCopland

It was bad enough being in New Zealand during the Sydney Olympics. I'd go to Beijing, if I were you. They'll still be shell-shocked from their 08 experience. Written on 11/6/07

My Comment:

dianabelle

The Smashed Pink Swastika - Official Drink and Epileptic Tonic of the London Olympics.

A bit of creative marketing, and you may be on to something... Isn't co-branding all the rage? Written on 16/6/07

My Comment:

blitzhund

Well, the Millenium Dome had an excellent logo and great marketing and we all know how that went.

An Isle of Dogs pile of shit.

So regardless of all the moaning and positioning this will still turn to be a complete fiasco. A British style fiasco - which means we'll scoff and say something ironic. Written on 11/6/07