Monday, June 04, 2007

They're having a laugh

OK guys and gals, here's the £400,000 question:

What is this?











Is it...

Errr, toss?
An utter joke?
Ugly, irrelevant and expensive?
A pile of poo?
Something a 2-year-old could come up with?
A cross between underpass graffiti and a Sex Pistols album?
Modern art?
Something that crawled out of the primeval swamp?
Truly awful?
The most expensive load of rubbish you've seen for some time?
The equivalent of yer Dad dancing at a party, down wiv the kidz?
A block of squares pushed together?
Or someone's idea of a laugh?


Well, let me tell you it's none of the above. It's an "emblem" that "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", no less.

According to the BBC, Prime Minister Tony Blair (yes, he's still around - just) said: "We want London 2012 not just to be about elite sporting success. When people see the new brand, we want them to be inspired to make a positive change in their life." Judging by the 2900-odd comments on BBC's website, it's fair to say that public opinion is somewhat at odds with the PM's overly optimistic view. There's already a petition to change the logo available on line, although I'm pretty sure that's not the change Tony was referring to.

In case you're wondering, the haphazard squares actually represent the date 2012. Oh yes they do.

Take a couple of steps back. Squint. You see it now, right?

I'm not sure what the choice of colour means exactly. The mind boggles, it really does.

9 comments:

Γκρινιάρης said...

If you hadn't told me that it is supposed to be "2012" I wouldn't have noticed. Maybe I lack of imagination...

I don't get it though. How this particular brand will make people do "positive changes in their lives"? I just don't get it........

Betty Carlson said...

All of your explanations are hilarious!

I have one more -- it reminds me of the visual images I used to get when trying to do those horrible "put the pieces together" exercises from logic tests they made us take in high school. Somehow the pieces never fit.

Bike Drool said...

I don't get it either. This is a "brand"... so this logo will be on clothing and merchandise; I can only guess?

Maybe kind of like the yellow "Livestrong" bracelets, for the "positive changes...", but still, seems like a lot of ambition behind an otherwise unremarkable logo?

The Olympic Games are cool tho!

ToeKnee Ess said...

I can see it.
Just stare at the image and let your mind drift away.
Very soon something will come drifting out toward you and you will see an image in your thoughts, and you will hear a voice as if from afar. It will say, "Go and put the kettle on, or better still have a stiff drink and try to figure out why the Limp_old_hicks of 2012 are already three times over the estimate"

Tinsie said...

Griniaris, I only noticed when I read the explanation on BBC News, and even then I was like "uh?". You aren't the only person who doesn't get it either - thousands, if not millions, agree with you by the sounds of it.

Betty, most of those explanations were from BBC's comments page. Some of the (now 3356) comments were really quite inspired!

Daniel, that's exactly what I don't get too. Apparently the logo looks quite good when it's animated (although I've not seen it myself, and I do have my doubts) but I can't see anyone paying for a T-shirt or a mug with four jagged squares on, and there's nothing that would convince me to wear fuschia and bright yellow together, even if the 80's are back in vogue.

Toeknee, now that you say it, I can hear it too ;-)

Shionge said...

I did figure it out to be 2012 for the London Olympics just that it is going to take a while to sort of digest it.

Tinsie said...

There are now claims that a video showing the logo in its animated format has triggered epileptic seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy, and the Mayor of London has said that the designers of the logo shouldn't get paid. In the meantime, 50,000 people have signed the online petition to change the logo.

The plot thickens ;-)

ShadowFalcon said...

Its awful isn't it. Let hope they bin it

Tinsie said...

Can't see it happening, Shadowfalcon. It's gone awfully quiet just recently.

What a joke.