laura

The logo says ZION... and in fact when u put the [pieces together it makes a swstica.

The zionists want their land back.... research illuminati and zion and new world order for more information...

 

Ian Sankey

I hoped the logo would grow on me.... but the more time goes by the more i hate it!

Is this ugly mess really the best brand for what will be, I'm sure a great olympics?

Miri Betinova
The Logo is a huge let down, there is no character! Lonodn won the Bid on my birthday, 06/07 and I was extremly happy and proud to be a Londoner, however , there are many dissapointments coming along and this logo is definatly one of them!
David Marshall

We had a long and depressing discussion about it at work - there's just so much wrong with it, and so many reasons why it's just wrong for the job.

It comes in four different colours - how does that help recognition on signage?

The 2012 is indistinct. Of all the things not to be clear, surely that's the biggest cock-up?

The word London and the rings are feeble and flimsy and may as well not be there.

Having said all this, it is fixable. Clarify the 2012, choose a single colour, and introduce a side-by-side version to go with the stacked version to be used where there's vertical constraint. Easy.

We had fun though... :) http://www.daltonmaag.com/news/61.html

Pamela Courtney
The more I see the logo the more I like it. It's original, complex and fun. The various intepretations that have been aired say more about the person making them than the design concept. The logo will be around for 5 years and will, I'm sure, gain more and more fans. The various alternatives offered produced in minutes on the back of an envelope or by a jiggle of the computer are shallow, facile and derivitave - so there!
Jo Plumb

I think it's an awful logo.Ok it's bright and colourful and works with the ad campaign as it were. However people like Tessa Jowell keeps saying it's all about 2012-surely we're supposed to be celebrating London not just one year.

I've seen many other designs in newspapers that capture London in a much more imaginative way-which personally I think would look better on the merchandise they'll churn out.

Could you imagine what the Sydney logo would have looked like without the Harbour Bridge in it?

Roger Blackmore
I think it's a great logo! sharp and to the point - in 5 years we'll all be seeing loads of copies of this style
CJ
Your IT director is doing an incredible disservice to the school-children who take part in competitions.  I severly doubt that an 8-year old could come up with anything as terrible as this logo.
Eliot
A good chunk of the Ad Industry is so divorced from any recogniseable aesthetic that they're incapable of producing anything of beauty at all. Hectoring, bludgeoning and shouting is the new paradigm, as per American advertising. Resultantly, the logo is hideous and quite without reference to anything of lasting value ever seen before. New does not automatically equal good, but the belief that it does certainly signals sophomoric inadequacy. Additionally, Wolff denounces his critics as Philistines and reactionaries; but it's not as if we're re-experiencing the Shock of the New here-just the Disappointment of the Godawful. A shameful fraud on the tax payer.
Craig Hewitt
This logo is the pits!!!! I have been designing logos for 20 years (for major brands) and can't recall ever seeing anything so non-descript in my life. At first I couldn't work it, when I did I thought 'how lame'. It says nothing about London (unless London is full of people with learning difficulties) and doesn't inspire anyone to glory
Willy

Every logo could be designed with MS Paint...so that's not a good argument! Well done guys! I think it's beautiful after the second look...the first time I saw it I wasn't sure about the typography... I think it's a very dynamic, funky and colourful design and that's what the Olympics are..no?

James Wren

I have designed one of the alternative logos currently getting a bit of coverage on blogs, BBC etc. Love to know what you guys think. Regards, James Wren www.talkandesign.com

Logo is here:

www.flickr.com/photos/jamesandangela/534713511/

 

Charlie Greene
This is one great logo. Original, dynamic, creative FEARLESS. Great concept!!!!!!!!! Breaks with everything ever done for olympic logos. Very good.
Christine Shefford
Let's have the name(s) of the people who commissioned and accepted this design.
Brian Liu
Unfortunately, it appears that Wolff Olins have taken the wrong strategic direction. The logo appears to be directly targetted at the 'youth' market of a young, internet savvy generation. However, the Olympic Games need to address   people of all ages and cultures.

A logo needs to be a visual statement of a company's or oganizaton's role and function - this logo does neither. Perhaps this logo is the result of design by committee but it is the responsibility of the design consultancy to advise their client accordingly and come up with the correct solution. Therefore, in my opinion, I would have to lay blame on both the London Olympic Committee and Wolff Olins equally.
Grenville Hamlyn
I agree with the general negative assessment of the new logo. I would like to add that we haven’t seen how the full identity works, just the mark to date. So it is a little hard to give a fully informed critique. But. I doubt that there will be any “growing to love it” going on. I have heard some of the reasoning behind the design, and to be sure, it convinces the brain. But my heart still tells me that it’s just plain ugly. Looking ahead, rather than at the past Olympic logos – I rather like the Chicago 2016 bid design. It’s elegant, refined and emotive. Both heart and brain are happy with this one. See the Chicago logo at: http://www.chicago2016.org/
eric
What design firm was paid $400K and was responsible for this? Does anyone know the name of the firm and the designer?
Tony Adams

Quindy
is this supoose mean something like numbers or animals??? guess if a logo is not expressive in the right way or should say the direct way, then the logo is not working...and what about those glow arround the logo??? are we start to going back to the old trend by using effect to impress?? such a subjective thing, but just always not the right people making the right design decision i would say.
Jake Brumby
We feel really let down with this logo. People just don't relate to it.

So we've asked designers to create their own and get the public to vote on it. Over 20,000 votes have been cast on over 100 logos so far!

But most of the logos are very amateur. We want to show how much talent British designers have . If you are a designer, please come up with your own design and upload it here:

http://www.fubra.com/london2012/

We need to show that the UK is better than this.

Show the world your skills!
a;exander
hi, apparently they've pulled it from their website after too many people had fits triggered by the animation
£400.000 down the drain- so its gotta be a costly treat-not to mention the boring design

I'm still thinking of the NHS software blunder which still drains the funds and still not working.
Why don't i have clients who pay loads of money for botched work?
Patrick Schunemann

I love creative work, graphics in particular and because of that I've always tried to be gentle and fair in my criticism: Many times one does not see the complete picture and that it is after all honest work: This is not what I see here, all I see is a bunch of disrespectful con-artists that pretend to pass their work as genuine. If they wanted to come up with something youthful, why did they not ask the students of any of the prestigious colleges and universities in the UK to come up with something? I'm sure it would have been more appealing. If they wanted something edgy, urbane and original they could have asked any of the faceless graffiti artists that grace our public spaces...

Chris Voysey
Have a look at this - far better and doesn't corrupt the Olympics logo either! Mind you I am biased as my brother did this in 20 minutes last night! http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6723027.stm?dynamic_vote=ON#vote_readers_logos2
Bentos
I didn't read the 20 or 12 until it was poited out to me, it just looks like a camp man with his hand on his hip to me. And the animation just screams 80s. Like an early MTV ident with the colours of the 'It's a Kind Of Magic' Queen video. But I agree with Peter Martin: " I am prepared to bet there will have been mid-level jobsworths in the client marketing side who dicked about trying to put their stamp on it and justify their 30k non-jobs." Mucky-mucks rule the creative industry.
Nick Green

What could be more symptomatic of our age than the 'Olympic logo': an ugly scrawl that demonstrates zero aesthetic vision or intellectual insight that cost a fortune. It's pathetic, sad, and worst of all, crushingly predictable.

In the UK, mediocrity now rules the waves (The Turner Prize, anyone?); so all together now, wave goodbye to cultural evolution. . .

Phil S
I mean really, what are they thinking, did kids pick the final design or was it designed by them?
What does this design have to do with the Olympics, so what if the shapes say 2012 if you remove the Olympic circles, how would you know what it was for?
Lets hope they see sence and let one of us redesign it!!!
Mark

I think the designers should have consulted a wider representative audience. The logo is certainly creating discussion.

However, when the separate shapes are seen moving it can cause quite a negative affect on vision , particularly with someone who suffers from migraines or epilepsy!!

Come on all you trendy non-disabled deasigners, you may think outside the box but you always keep it to yourselves until it is too late and nearly half a million pounds later.

I wonder what visually impaired paralympians will think?

Why should we expect more?????????? 

Beana Green London

Oh my god, I'm genuinely shocked. Where's Jeremy Beadle? This is terrible. If you screw your eyes up it looks a five-eyed crouching monkey doing a square shaped 'present'...  

Despite this, I actually think the colour choice (particularly in combination) is the worst aspect. Vibrant is, of course, appropriate for this arena, but such these vulgar, clashing colours are making me feel acutely embarrassed for us already. The Europeans in particular already think we're a design disaster area, this just confirms it for them.

At least it's only til 2012...

Hitesh Mehta
Branding is all about trust, emotion, values, attachment with the people using your brand and understanding the brand as whole, apart from huge investments. Do not try out something extra-ordinary or for the sake of showing how different and innovative one can be, you will end up with some blunders like this one.

Read more: http://hiteshmehta.in/?p=14
Roger Whittle
Why can't I find a bunch of suckers like the Olympic Committe to work for??? C'mon boys and girls, I'm here and waiting for your(our)  money! Less than a tenth of the price too. A bargain of sorts. Anyway, perhaps the design is just too clever for us. I'm sure a consultancy like WO know what they are doing......tee hee.
Nerg
I said it was Ugly the first time I saw it and then when I saw the animated TV ads I was appalled.

http://nergalicious.wordpress.com/
Karl Paling_Stimulating Minds
Oh dear, this is really not good.

More than anything else I just feel let down and disheartened by such a poor design.

I would love to know how on earth it got to this stage; what did the first presentation look like?
Marcus G

A sound lesson in 'Not to allow profesional creatives who are desperate to win design awards (most especially architects) to take control of the project. The logo is daft: too like a swastika, no element of tradition - London's No.1 asset in visitors' eyes, and terrible colours.

All for £400,000 - a nasty advert against London's creative community.

But don't worry - all Olympic hosts get it all very wrong until about six months before the Games, then they call in the professionals.

Can anyone think of a good logo produced by Wolff Olins?

MG

Susie

Hilarious comment and observations by john!  I won't be able to look at it without seeing the big hair and the earings.

You could say the logo is quite successful...its got a lot of media coverage and everyone is talking about it.
Its bright and cheerful. Perhaps it will imporve with context.  I like to be positive!!!

 

Wyn Roberts
To be fair, a bunch of school kids could have done a lot better than this effort!  It doesn't say anything or have any consistency with the current olympics branding.  James Wrens' effort  is by far a better example of utilising the London/Olympic theme, and should be considered in my opinion.
Andy Thompson
For sure this is wasted opportunity to show the world how strong British design really is!  We have been failed! This is utter tat.  I wouldn't even show this to any of my low-end clients let alone the world!!!  
Peter Martin

Logo design - .007p (actually, that's what they owe each of us)

The most up its own derriere marketing-speek explanation/justification from the creators - £400,000

The saddest piece of quango self-immolation in history by every numpty sod involved, but especially the senior guys in the committee and government - Priceless!

Houston, we have a camel.

Let the blame games begin!

To be fair....

Having been part of the process more than once, I feel a tad (but £400k buys a lot of pain relief) sorry for the actual designers who will get fingered by the tabloids.

There will have been a brief, and there will have been a presentation. And I am prepared to bet there will have been mid-level jobsworths in the client marketing side who dicked about trying to put their stamp on it and justify their 30k non-jobs.

But, WO-is-you, you can always walk away.

What's the name of the mythical director on movies no one wants to own up to?

odobo
Not a defence of the design - but a defence of the amount of money - think of all the different variants of the logo that needs to be produced for screen, for tv, for web, for print, think of all the artwork that needs to be produced for every letterhead for every olympic site, for all the different business cards that need to be artworked for every person in every job employed by the olympic committee and the time that takes in terms of man hours in front of a computer - then divide all that into £400,000 i think its not a bad price actually - when you consider compnaies spend millions to place 1 30 second advert in the half time at the super bowl.

Yes suprise suprise world! - design costs money just like lawyers but no one seems to moan about the price of there bills - just out of intrest what is the legal bill for the games !!!

bit more than 400K i expect
Ray Owen
I recently charged £1200 for a London based charity re-brand. It took 5 days to complete, and everyone was over the moon with the end result. How can you justify £400,000. Wolff Olins... I'm ashamed of you!
Danny Stijelja
This is one of the worst logo's I have ever seen. I'm sorry to say that I expect a lot more from the likes of Wolff Olins. It reminds me of the some of the insipid multi coloured early pop videos we were inflicted with in the 1980's or staying with the decade something a well meaning but misguided youth worker might have done to get down with the kids.....argghhh!!
James Wren

An alternative logo that will never be used, oh well.. had some good feedback from agencies.

Cheers

www.flickr.com/photos/jamesandangela/531595225/

James

Jason Conway

A pathetic attempt and amateurish to say the least. I could have paid $50 to get the same standard from a freelancer in Asia, or in Eastern Europe!

I can't believe how an agency can some up with such crap and justify it. Has the world gone mad?

Forgive me, but I just don't have the balls to pull the wool over peoples eyes!

jo

Bland, uninspiring and at that price a complete waste of money...I saw a better one on last night's news by a schoolchild. If they are wasting £400k on a logo what else are they wasting money on...

They say a camel is a horse designed by committee - this is more like a dinosaur - the reflection on the UK creative industry may well last longer than the run up to the games...

Warren

I guess this isn't the first recent own goal by Wolf Ollins - remember the Abbey re-brand a couple of years ago..?

To target one demographic is a huge mistake for something that's supposed to appeal to a mass audience. Then again, the "yoof" that this logo seems to be aimed at are ones that exist in a time warp, watching "Going Live" and "Def 2" 24 hours a day. I guess Janet Street-Porter might be pleased with it..?

Now, where's my Cameo-style codpiece and black leotard...?

robert Littleford
Triumph of the bland, this is what happens when you get design by committee. It doen't bode well for the opening ceremony when the worlds eyes will be on our creative talent or lack of......
Richard Vaughan
The logo and branding is hideous. The brand video is like something from a knaff Eurovision trailer.



Richard Vaughan
john
I think it's a fantastic logo - It looks like a woman with lots of earings, on her knees "servicing" a gentleman who is wearing a "london" Tee Shirt - It clearly shows what you can expect from your trip to the london olympics  (and with the capital letter missing, it provides a low key re-brand of what I always thought was a Capital City).
Duncan Bamford
I'm appalled.  Like others have said - it looks like a school project.  The colour scheme combined with the actual form is both visually irritating and in bad taste - it's just hard to look at without flinching!  Not a selling point with any design. What a shame that we aren't representing the obvious talent that's out there - instead of a contemporary and long lasting design we have a bubble gum 80's looking design which will be viewed by the world as representing designers in Britain... oh dear...
Brian

The general response to the logo speaks for itself, negative. It reminds me of something the 'apprentice' wannabe's would design. No doubt we shall all be ignored as usuall and show the world again that for some reason when the uk's political world gets involved in design projects they display a mix of being clueless with arrogance, they will railroad it anyway.

martin vicker

Not really impressed with the logo, neither are the non-creatives I know. It will however become synonymous with the games through exposure and as such it's not THAT important. I believe there are a few important stadium facilities to construct? I'd like to be reading more about these. All of this discussion over the logo will distract from other aspects of the build up to the games, so it's a good PR exercise, but at the end of the day it could have been a great deal more impressive as an important piece of graphic design.

mirandashell

If you want to know just how much this is hated....check this out:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbpointsofview/F7469164?thread=4225519&latest=1

Over 3000 posts and the vast majority are negative.

jon kemp
Is this how Londons money is being wasted?
Many small London agencies would have jumped at the chance to design this at a fraction of the cost.

Will the Olympics become the next Dome?


cheryl

I think you speak for the rest of the world...

Seb Coe gave an Olympic defence of it ...he said "It showed that London wasn't bland" it also revealed we are colourblind...

Maybe it's a grower. Why reinvent the wheel...what's wrong with the rings?

Flick
I can't believe that the London 2012 committee are actually promoting this new logo. I mean... even if one *TRIES* to disregard the fact that 400k was spent on this, it's still a very UGLY design, no matter which way I try to look at it (even with closed eyes) and GOD, colours wise could they have chosen anything worse?

Those jagged edges just feel like knives ... we're obviously promoting the wrong thing? Give me a pencil and paper and I'll do better than that even though I'm illiterate when it comes to drawing/designing.

I vote for the old logo - the one that was used to win the bid in the first place! :D
Jonathan Fox
Come on... his isn't aimed at anyone. Its awful. I recollect making similar shapes out of that semi transparent paper as an eight year old on the run up to Christmas at primary school.

It looks more like Lisa Simpson giving head. This motif is truly dire!
Adrian
Maybe you should sign the petition to change the logo
Derek Scott
Please don't be so rude to school children - they could have done much better.