Arriving in London from the States to take up my newly acquired position of On Site coordinator for Design in Great Britain, I was not at all surprised to see Heathrow in full Pre-Olympic regalia.
On every package, poster, bus & newspaper, the brightly colorful and whimsical logo reminds the viewer who may have been under a rock for a bit that London is indeed the host of the 2012 Olympics.
( Even children here are revved up about the upcoming Games, as evident here, at a primary school playground far up in north-easternly York....
)
The design of the 2012 Olympic logo may perhaps be generally accepted by the public, after all, we have had over a year now to get used to it, but in the design world? A total disaster.
Created by Wolff Olins, the jagged and fractured pieces that appear in various sherbert-like shades are intended to accept "...an invitation to take part and be involved" (Lord Sebastian Coe, London 2012 chair.
) and that the reason for creating such a logo is that "By using interesting shapes and angles, and bright vibrant colours the logo creates a sense of energy"...
Such aspiration are honorable and most certainly would be the general goal of any design team, but the question is, did Wolff Olins succeed?
Such pedestrian work is not common for international brand team Wolff Olins, whose client list includes the Tate, GE, Unilever and New York City.
In a country steeped with such a rich design history as to give us mundane as the utilitarian phone booth (made to be iconic in bright red) to as monumental as the Underground informational system (pure genius, can't be improved in any way shape or form), this design contribution, sadly, seems like a lame duck swimming with swans. (Pentagram, btw, began here in London as well...if you, as a possible non-design reader, wanted know....and even if you didn't, I am going to tell you anyways because Kenneth Grange and Company have my complete adoration)
Why didn't the 2012 London logo capture the essence and energy of London itself? For such an infamous city steeped in a rich history (don't tell me you don't see Big Ben in your head every time you even hear the name "London"!!!???), why do I feel as if the 2012 Olympics are going to be held in Miami, FLA?
Here below are some alternative logo ideas that may not be as easy to brand into an insta-icon as the Olins one has begrudgingly become, but do capture a bit more creativity as well as the personality of London...
(Credit to, from left-to-right: James Wren, Oliver Taylor, and Richard Voysey)
Perhaps we need to look even further at past Olympic logos to study truly successful design and take notes.
Two of my favorite Olympic logo and pictagram designs are more recent ones but astutely succinct in not only conveying the message of such a revered event, but also communicating to an international audience the distinct personality of the chosen host city.
Check out Mexico, circa 1968:
New York Designer Lance Wyman put together a team of several other designers, based on their valuable ability to give valid input, that could best analyze and execute such a task, including:
Eduardo Terrazas, for urban design;
Beatrice Trueblood, for Olympic publications;
Manuel Villazon, for the student design team;
Peter Murdoch, for special projects;
(and of course, Wyman on graphics.)
The logo in this case is so successful, as it not only embodies an energy appropriate for the Olympic events, but the continuous line, rounded type face is very reminiscent of the country's pre-Hispanic art history.
Look also at the pictograms of the 68 Olympics. Again, we see a careful attention to soft, muted and culturally appropriate colors pay homage to the nationality and identity of Mexico.
Another very successful design campaign includes the 2008 Games in Beijing, headed up by design director Min Wang.
Simple, organic lines look aesthetically close to the ancient Chinese script "Jingwen" and express a cultural nod to the host country while still communicating a kinetic energy of the Olympic games that would take place.
Either way, the Games will soon be here in Londontown and before we know it, the design by Wolff Olins will have come and gone but the memories are what really matters and the honor of being the chosen city is what will last.
( Even children here are revved up about the upcoming Games, as evident here, at a primary school playground far up in north-easternly York....
)
The design of the 2012 Olympic logo may perhaps be generally accepted by the public, after all, we have had over a year now to get used to it, but in the design world? A total disaster.
Created by Wolff Olins, the jagged and fractured pieces that appear in various sherbert-like shades are intended to accept "...an invitation to take part and be involved" (Lord Sebastian Coe, London 2012 chair. ) and that the reason for creating such a logo is that "By using interesting shapes and angles, and bright vibrant colours the logo creates a sense of energy"...
Such aspiration are honorable and most certainly would be the general goal of any design team, but the question is, did Wolff Olins succeed?
Such pedestrian work is not common for international brand team Wolff Olins, whose client list includes the Tate, GE, Unilever and New York City.
In a country steeped with such a rich design history as to give us mundane as the utilitarian phone booth (made to be iconic in bright red) to as monumental as the Underground informational system (pure genius, can't be improved in any way shape or form), this design contribution, sadly, seems like a lame duck swimming with swans. (Pentagram, btw, began here in London as well...if you, as a possible non-design reader, wanted know....and even if you didn't, I am going to tell you anyways because Kenneth Grange and Company have my complete adoration)
Why didn't the 2012 London logo capture the essence and energy of London itself? For such an infamous city steeped in a rich history (don't tell me you don't see Big Ben in your head every time you even hear the name "London"!!!???), why do I feel as if the 2012 Olympics are going to be held in Miami, FLA?
Here below are some alternative logo ideas that may not be as easy to brand into an insta-icon as the Olins one has begrudgingly become, but do capture a bit more creativity as well as the personality of London...
(Credit to, from left-to-right: James Wren, Oliver Taylor, and Richard Voysey)
Perhaps we need to look even further at past Olympic logos to study truly successful design and take notes.
Two of my favorite Olympic logo and pictagram designs are more recent ones but astutely succinct in not only conveying the message of such a revered event, but also communicating to an international audience the distinct personality of the chosen host city.
Check out Mexico, circa 1968:
New York Designer Lance Wyman put together a team of several other designers, based on their valuable ability to give valid input, that could best analyze and execute such a task, including:
Eduardo Terrazas, for urban design;
Beatrice Trueblood, for Olympic publications;
Manuel Villazon, for the student design team;
Peter Murdoch, for special projects;
(and of course, Wyman on graphics.)
The logo in this case is so successful, as it not only embodies an energy appropriate for the Olympic events, but the continuous line, rounded type face is very reminiscent of the country's pre-Hispanic art history.
Look also at the pictograms of the 68 Olympics. Again, we see a careful attention to soft, muted and culturally appropriate colors pay homage to the nationality and identity of Mexico.
Another very successful design campaign includes the 2008 Games in Beijing, headed up by design director Min Wang.
Simple, organic lines look aesthetically close to the ancient Chinese script "Jingwen" and express a cultural nod to the host country while still communicating a kinetic energy of the Olympic games that would take place.
Either way, the Games will soon be here in Londontown and before we know it, the design by Wolff Olins will have come and gone but the memories are what really matters and the honor of being the chosen city is what will last.
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