New London Olympic logo torches debate (From Times Series)

New London Olympic logo torches debate

5:33am Tuesday 5th June 2007 in

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The £400,000 new logo of the London 2012 Olympics was unveiled at a star-studded ceremony - only to be greeted by public dissent.

Within 12 hours, an online petition to "get this terrible logo dropped as soon as possible" attracted more than 13,000 signatures.

Of more than 6,000 votes cast in an opinion poll on the BBC website by midnight, almost half gave the logo the lowest possible rating.

The jagged emblem, based on the year number 2012, comes in very bright shades of pink, blue, orange and green - an updated version of the Olympic colours. The Olympic rings and the word "London" are included in the first two digits.

The brand design firm Wolff Ollins, whose client list of more than 500 companies include Sony Ericsson and Unilever, was paid £400,000 for the job.

The team was briefed to make the new design less corporate and more youthful.

In particular, the logo was to be targeted at a young generation who had gradually lost interest in the Olympic movement over the last 20 years.

The emblem had to "inspire everyone to embrace the Olympic spirit - and make 2012 'Everyone's Games'," organisers said.

Apart from looking good on traditional memorabilia like T-shirts and mugs, it also had to work well in 3D-animations for mobile phones and on the web.

London 2012 chairman Lord Sebastian Coe unveiled the logo in front of celebrities like Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and singer Jamelia.

"London 2012 will be Everyone's Games, everyone's 2012. This is the vision at the very heart of our brand," Lord Coe said.

"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."

The audience at The Roundhouse in Camden, north London, also included sports stars like gold medallist Kelly Holmes, top paralympic athelete Tanni Grey-Thompson, tennis ace Andy Murray, heptathlete Denis Lewis, decathlete Daley Thompson and long jumper Jonathan Edwards.

For the first time the same logo will be used for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The new emblem will replace the 2012 bid logo that had the Thames weaving through its letters.

Olympic bosses described their logo as "dynamic, modern and flexible".

But in online forums, contributors have described it as looking like a swastika, a smashed window, a couple having sex and a symbol of the "ill conceived mess" that the Games has become.

Nevertheless a range of politicians, including Tony Blair, endorsed the logo.

The prime minister 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."

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell added: "This is not just a marketing logo, but a symbol that will become familiar, instantly recognisable and associated with our Games."

Opposition leader David Cameron, Liberal Democrats leader Sir Menzies Campbell and London mayor Ken Livingstone also backed the logo in statements.

Jacque Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee President, welcomed the "truly innovative brand logo".

It "graphically captures the essence of the London 2012 Olympic Games - namely to inspire young people around the world through sport and the Olympic values," he said