Now, believe me when I say my work over the years has had it’s share of bashing. From work that was wildly successful in the consumer arena that was met with harsh criticism from my design peers, to design work that won all sorts of awards, but ultimately, rejected by my client. I’m no stranger to criticism.
Now, not wanting to cast stones, let’s just say I’m confused by the logo created for the 2012 Olympics in London. My whole life (even long before I got into this industry), I’d looked across the pond to the brilliant design coming out of London for inspiration. The level of talent and willingness to take risks in the UK has always been a motivating force.
But with the $800,000 budget for the logo for the 2012 Olympic Games in London (now officially launched), and the outrage from not only the design community, but the Olympic audience at large, I find myself scratching my head. What went wrong here? $800,000 is a lot of money to spend on a logo, and would buy you some amazing market research. Why is there such a backlash? Parodies of the logo are already popping up online, and the media is in full gear mocking the approved logo.
I haven’t heard anything from Wolff Olins, the firm that designed the logo, but I’m going to guess they feel the bashing is unfair. I do wish they’d unveil the work-flow and process for designing a logo that needs to touch the entire world (uhmm…a REALLY difficult and daunting assignment). But in the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Email me, or post your comments here!
Oh, and if you know anyone on the Olympic committee for any future games logos, I’m certain I can make time in my schedule!
