Logo or Emoticon?

This article discusses the much-criticised logo for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and argues that while the execution was imperfect, the underlying conception is radical and interesting, and has not been understood.

Logo or Emoticon?

Chris Arning

The London 2012 logo met with a public backlash when it launched. Within hours of the launch, an online petition was set up asking for a new logo or a return to the bid design. The petition quickly received more than 40,000 signatures. To many the logo feels maladroit and sloppily put together. It is certainly true that the lurid colours made it an easy target for criticism. The commentary has been long on spleen, rhetoric and satire – but there has been little sober analysis of the logo and its rationale.

London 2012: this...

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