New look for London 2012 Olympics
Updated on 04 June 2007
Is it graffiti? Is it an extra-terrestrial attack? What on earth is it? Yes, it's the London Olympic logo.
It's designed to be hyperactive, interactive, and constantly evolving, meet the new 2012 Olympic logo, a snip at just £400,000. So why this design?
At the launch in north London it was clear it wasn't just about a logo, it was also the beginning of a pledge campaign to involve the whole country. There was no lack of enthusiastic celebrity endorsements.
And unlike with the old brand, with this one we can all join in - making pledges online, and customise the logo. Children were apparently involved in the design process- but ones we spoke to didn't all seem to know what it meant today.
In the past, official Olympic logos have been worth millions in merchandise sales. If people like this logo enough to wear it or drink from a mug with it on, it could bring in £600m. But not everyone's been convinced.
Nine thousand people have already signed a petition describing the design as an embarrassment and call for it to be scrapped.
But the organisers say the logo's not up for negotiation, regardless of public opinion
What do you think?
We asked you what you thought of the new logo and your emails have been flying in. Here's a few of them:
"I am 18, so am presumably a 'youth'. I think the logo looks exactly like the graphics used in the late 80's/early 90s sex education videos they forced us to watch in school when we were 12. The colours also look like they were chosen from a range of shellsuits. It's embarrassing." - Alice Porter, Hertfordshire
"I think the new Olympic logo resembles this country very well - it's just a great big heap of crap!" - Tim Reynolds
"First reaction: cheap product logo ... discount soap powder... second thought: disjointed swastika. Not nice at all." - Jane Macnaghten
"What idiot agreed the new all of the visual effects of the new logo? People with migraine, people with epilepsy and people with other problems which flashing images cause major problems now will not be able to watch the Olympics at all, including me.
And, what better time to test it out but the Para-Olympics - now many disabled people will not be able to watch their own Olympics!" - Sue Adams
"Can I just say that I saw the Olympic logo for the first time on the 7pm news today, 4 June, and I hate it already? Jon Snow may well say that it 'grows on one', but I 'hae me doots'..." - Roger Kershaw
"Simply put the logo reflects the state of our youth today, and perhaps their parents. Its nothing more than a looney tunes cartoon." - John Breda
"I'm all for the government looking for ways to reduce its costs with respect to the Olympic bid and if getting a couple of kids to knock up a 'youth friendly' logo in their spare time means we don't have to spend thousands on a high cost design agency, then so be it.
Cheap, nasty and ameturish" - Jonathan Waugh
"Oh dear oh dear... it looks like a ramshackle edifice, constructed on wobbly foundations, in a permanent state of collapse. Nice, user-friendly colours though..." - Nick
So what do you make of the new logo?
Does spell out the spirit of the London Olympics or resemble something else entirely? Or perhaps you have a better idea?
We'd like to hear what you think, send your thoughts and sketches to news@channel4.com and we'll publish the best ones here.
