Lottery Olympics
Yesterday the all-new singing-and-dancing logo for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games was unveiled by Sebastian Coe. As someone who has indirectly contributed to the Olympic fund via my regular lottery spend, I was interested to see how my money had been spent. The answer was, "Not very well"!
The logo is based on the number 2012 and incorporates the famous five ring emblem of the Olympic games. It looks like it was knocked together by a graffiti artist who was worried about the sound of police sirens in the background. It also comes in four colours. And it cost a whopping £400,000. Whether this was £100,000 for each colour or not is something we'll never know, but however way you slice it, £400,000 for this logo is pretty scandalous.
It's meant to be inspirational. Sebastian Coe said: "London 2012 will be Everyone's Games, everyone's 2012. This is the vision at the very heart of our brand. It will define the venues we build and the Games we hold and act as a reminder of our promise to use the Olympic spirit to inspire everyone and reach out to young people around the world. It is an invitation to take part and be involved."
Whether it inspires anyone in the way the Olympic Committee intended is not for me to say, but it has inspired by young teenage daughter to ditch her cooking classes in exchange for graphic design lessons.
An official press release said: "The new emblem is dynamic, modern and flexible reflecting a brand savvy world where people, especially young people, no longer relate to static logos but respond to a dynamic brand that works with new technology and across traditional and new media networks.
"It will become London 2012's visual icon, instantly recognisable amongst all age groups, all around the world. It will establish the character and identity of the London 2012 Games and what the Games will symbolise nationally and internationally."
In my opinion, it will also serve as a reminder that bureaucrats are idiots and have absolutely no idea about how to spend public money wisely.
Article Last Updated: 05/06/2007 14:01:15
