Why I have grown to appreciate the London 2012 Olympic Logo
The London Olympic 2012 brand was unveiled on 4th June 2007, and it was the subject of much debate and criticism. It is still given a bashing on some graphic design blogs and websites today. When the logo was unveiled, I didn't like it. It was spikey, blocky, sharp and uncomfortable looking, like a toblerone... ouch.
However, I then started to feel that the look and feel of the design was perhaps ahead of it's time. Recently, in fashion, it's all gone a bit 80's, a bit punk. Body warmers, leggings and leg warmers, pixie boots and lots of bright colours, especially in teenage fashion. Maybe the cynics would have preferred a '2012' in Arial Bold mid-blue with a red saturn type swoosh around it, but I think the London Olympic Games deserves better.
I follow logo trends and none of them (until recently) noted a trend in blocky and spikey - so it's unique, that's good right?! The font used, again at first I wasn't sure, but it definitely makes a change from the smooth, curvy or childlike fonts that we've seen so much of.
So, it's 'now', it's unique and it's bright and colourful, just like London. You can see it emblazoned on a bus from 100 meters. At the moment we are are seeing it everywhere, and we have probably become immune to the look of it, people have forgotten some of the strange things (broken swastika?) it was likened to at the time. Will it stand the test of time? Probably not, but then that's the beauty of looking back at the olympics through the ages. Was it worth £400,000? Hmmm, let me see... could I come up with something better? Well if someone wants to pay me £400,000, I'll happily give it my best shot.
However, I then started to feel that the look and feel of the design was perhaps ahead of it's time. Recently, in fashion, it's all gone a bit 80's, a bit punk. Body warmers, leggings and leg warmers, pixie boots and lots of bright colours, especially in teenage fashion. Maybe the cynics would have preferred a '2012' in Arial Bold mid-blue with a red saturn type swoosh around it, but I think the London Olympic Games deserves better.
I follow logo trends and none of them (until recently) noted a trend in blocky and spikey - so it's unique, that's good right?! The font used, again at first I wasn't sure, but it definitely makes a change from the smooth, curvy or childlike fonts that we've seen so much of.
So, it's 'now', it's unique and it's bright and colourful, just like London. You can see it emblazoned on a bus from 100 meters. At the moment we are are seeing it everywhere, and we have probably become immune to the look of it, people have forgotten some of the strange things (broken swastika?) it was likened to at the time. Will it stand the test of time? Probably not, but then that's the beauty of looking back at the olympics through the ages. Was it worth £400,000? Hmmm, let me see... could I come up with something better? Well if someone wants to pay me £400,000, I'll happily give it my best shot.
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