Having been in design for over 30 years, I can only say appauling.....how are you meant to spot the "2", "0", "1", "2", is manual required.....

We must capture our democracy, britishness, humility & "try again"

Tony Reece, Manchester, UK

The logo is spot on the standard you get when you ask the staff the office to design a logo for their department. I did not to even read that the organisers did not hold a open competition for the work. Let us hope that it is not an accurate reflection of other designs for the 2012 Games. At least it encourages me to support my son in following a career in Design although it looks as if he will need to head abroad early in his career.

Philip B Wilson, Whaley Bridge , England

No logo is worth £400,000.

Jill, Cambs.

Jill Segger, Cheveley, Cambs

This whole thing stinks of Labour arrogance and snouts in troughs. For Paul Deighton to state that they are trying to move away from the Games corporate image and then say "This logo is going to be key to us raising money commercially. All our worldwide sponsors are ecstatic with it" shows a grand hypocrisy.
The logo itself is garish and highlights how out of touch with society and public thinking these people are. How about dress all the athletes as "hoodies" and award ASBO's instead of medals.
This is not "Everyone's Games". It is Labour's ego trip which everyone knows is going to be a disaster and this is the opening salvo of spiralling costs, poor management and an embarassment to the UK.
As for reaching out to young people around the world, I doubt very much that the young people in Singapore (or most other countries) will relate to a graffitied image that most people can't even read as being 2012.
This is going to make the dome look like a bargain.

Ed, Singapore,

Thanks for making the Zero in the 2012 a stylised map of Australia and emblazoning the map with the Olympic rings. It sort of confirms what Juan Antonio Samaranch, the then head of the IOC said at the time, Sydney 2000 was "The best Olympics ever"!

Don't see how that's going to help sell London though, except maybe remind people like me who were at Sydney of the great time we had there and make us want to come. But I was coming anyway - couldn't think of a better place (outside Australia) to have the Olympics - I'm sure it will be great no matter what the logo looks like.

Jennifer McNiven, Sydney, Australia

Olympics "logo"? No, it is the Olympic laugher!!! Just another sign that Paris really DID win it all when London got stuck with the Olympics!!!!

Bob Evans, Anaheim, California

Usual negative bleating instead of getting behind something and making it work.. We don't deserve success when all we do is knock! Get a life...

Peter Gore, Oxford,

Re: Jo Toy

Agreed. Banksy should've been brought in to design it :)

Mark, Woking, UK

The issue isn't whether or not the logo for the 2012 London Olympic Games has any references to London'[s landmarks, but whether or not it achieves or symbolises the goals of LOCOG - to make the London games "Everyone's Olympics" to get youth involved and "to take the Olympics away from its corporate image, to make it more “street” and less boardroom."

In this regard, I think they failed miserably and at high cost, not only in money, but in missed opportunity. Why not a nationwide competition among the young or 'everyone' across the nation (to get them involved and give them a personal stake in the London Olympics), instead of hiring a 'corporate' imange and branding company (matter where the money comes from to pay for it). If you want to get away from the "corporate image" and "boardroom", why hire a company that caters to corporations and boardrooms to come up with an 'obvious' and uninspired and unimaginative design.

Lots of egos in play, here.

PHHP, Bevery Hills, California

Ok, they want young people to get involved... So, online competition to find a more visually pleasing logo (or someone ask Banksey). Then winning entry gets sprayed over every 'official' version by afore-mentioned young people with cans of that rattley-ball, instant air-type-paint they're so fond of. Sorted.

Rusty, Sydney, Asutralia

How dull are the people on this thread? The logo has to inspire debate and challenge people's perceptions of the games. It takes a lot to get through our hardened media savvy radar. Wouldn't everyone have just glossed over the logo and ignored the games if a nice and 'safe' logo was used?

The fact that it's appeared in every national newspaper and website today is testement to the great work by the ad agency. £400,000 is chicken feed for a marketing campaign that includes national press, radio and prime time TV. Well done the ad agency and well done the Olympics committee for being brave enough to go with it.

Even if it does look like a throwback to an MTV logo from the 80s...

kenobi, London, UK

Good grief, you guys with your pretentious criticisms.....get a life. Its a logo!
As most of the people who will compete in the olympics will be in their twenties that makes a lot of them around the twenty mark now and quite rightly that is where this is aimed. So old farts, hush a bit.
As to the cost, it pales into insignificance aganst the overall cost. I also bet some if those critics will themselves pay obscene sums to see the events.
The whingers of Britain (and there are plenty of them) need to look forward and embrace the modern world and then perhaps this country can look forward to a new prosperity.

mike gee, bournemouth, uk

Stick to the point. The question is 'do you like the logo?' not 'do you like how much it cost?'. Also, be honest with yourself. It's shockingly different but it grows on you. It will serve England well.

viccy baker, Lagos , Nigeria

'Everyone's Games' !!!! Pull the other one. Why wasn't everyone invited to submit ttheir own design for consideration to make us all feel part of the event.Ridiculous logo, obscene waste of money!

Dave, Flitwick, UK

I ended up with a migraine, even though I only looked at the programme for a very short time.

Sue hall, Rowlands Castle, hants

The colours of the olympic rings are so, because they convey the unity of all competing nations. The colours are taken from 1 of the coloured elements of all the nations of the worlds flags, so i am led to believe. Where is this symbolism of unity?
400,000 pounds SPENT on designing this logo?!?! They would have done better by generating revenue in preporation for the games by making the design of the logo into a competition.
so this label, brand, symbol is supposed to reach out to the youth of today? how do they think this going to be achieved?
If you want to reach the youth of today, to encourage they to take an interest then they should of allowed the youth of today to design it for them.
I will not endorse this brand label. i will avoid any product that adopts this brand as an offical sponsor of the games.
I too actually thought it was a broken window, until it was pointed out to me that it was supposed to represent 2012.
Its Terrible, Scrap it and start again.

Death Jester, England,

I am not a fan of this logo, but I am thrilled that there was no "competition" for the designing of the logo. Design competitions promote a feeling that good designs aren't worth paying for, since only the winner is compensated for their time and talent. You wouldn't get 400 builders to build you a house and just pay the "winner" who built you the nicest house.
The Olympic logo is something that deserves money spent on it. Maybe even £400 000. But for that kind of money, i would expect a design that appealed to the target audience and met the design brief. I wouldn't call this design a successful one - i don't think using bright colours and shapes is the solution for youth appeal at a higher than kindy level. Then again, perhaps it is successful, because I will never forget it (as i find it quite hideous), and designers (and the general public) are discussing it all over the world.

Jaz, Perth, Australia

Thanks for telling me it was based on 2012 I hadn't noticed it just looked like something broken to me. Who says it is a 'bold' emblem? Insipid is the adjective that comes to my mind and that yellow outline is garish. The Olympic Circles need nothing other than the name of the host city to convey the true spirit of the games.

Joy Gibbs, Church Crookham, Hampshire

Looks like a failed attempt by a student sitting GCSE Geography to illustrate Continental Drift. I think Africa in the centre looks rather smaller that I remember from my school days although maybe this is a representation based on influence within the Olympic Committee.

Philip B Wilson, Whaley Bridge , England

Well Done! Excellent logo. A bold move yes, but more importantly very accessible and timeless. Hope you guys put on good show for the rest of the world.

Julian Mazery, Durban, South Africa

When Britain was Great our capital city was spelt London!

George Hartshorn, Badby, England

school children could have done it for a lot less and think of all that omney that oculd have gone to improving their school too! what a terrible design idea.. i wouldnt wear the logo yuks!..so they can keep a brave front and convince themselves it was money well spent., the design team should stay ot of design.

al yap, toronto, canada

Please, just go back to the linked circles. All this other stuff is distracting from what the Olympics is aboutr. Unity and cooperation in finding the best of the best athletes. I like the first time I saw the linked rings. It's not about where the Olympics is held it's about the fact that it happens at all.

catt napp, Elizabethtown, Kentucky USA

The logo is pure genius. The £400,000 expenditure is clearly justified as without specialist input the word London and the significance of the Olympic rings may have been missed by stupid people like me in the build up to the 2012 games. On a more serious note, the fragmentation reflects the loss of the true Olympic spirit which has been largely replaced by commercial exploitation and 'cheating' from many associated with this once great event.

David Connolly, Stoke-on-Trent, England

School children could have come up with better (in fact my dog could have probably done better) - an appalling waste of money which could have been better spent helping our athletes.

Trish, Reading, Berkshire

What a disaster - and the games have yet to commence.... this logo is an insult to the 80's, which is how the design looks... ' Dated '. What a waste of money!

Dex Grant, London, England

The colours of the olympic rings are so, because they convey the unity of all competing nations. The colours are taken from 1 of the coloured elements of all the nations of the worlds flags, so i am led to believe. Where is this symbolism of unity?
400,000 pounds SPENT on designing this logo?!?! They would have done better by generating revenue in preporation for the games by making the design of the logo into a competition.
so this label, brand, symbol is supposed to reach out to the youth of today? how do they think this going to be achieved?
If you want to reach the youth of today, to encourage they to take an interest then they should of allowed the youth of today to design it for them.
I will not endorse this brand label. i will avoid any product that adopts this brand as an offical sponsor of the games.
I too actually thought it was a broken window, until it was pointed out to me that it was supposed to represent 2012.
Its terrible. Scrap it and start again.

Death Jester, England,

I worked in design and advertising for years, would love to know how Wolff Olins sold this in for 400 grand. Doing something less corporate, yes please, but this ain't the answer. There's nothing "street" about it, it's naff-o-rama. If it works in animation, which I haven't seen, great, that's the TV coverage wrapped up. But it doesn't work as a print logo and most of the applications will be print of one form or another. Thumbs down.

Oonagh, Hong Kong,

no, previous designs are not trite just because they are slightly similar to each other - unlike this one, they are presentable.

jayden finch, yhtomit,

Why wasn't an open competition held for young artists? The public could then have voted on the alternatives. This would a. have been cheaper and b. received a far wider audience to signify approval and c. far more democratic and in line with a 'peoples games'.

I really do wonder what goes on in the heads of the so called intelliegent leaders who are managing the games - money no object and to hell with the public!!

Chris Young, Worthing, UK

That is the worst logo I have ever seen. My Year 10 Business Studies smoothie company had a better logo, and we didn't have £400,000 with which to pay so-called "experts" to design it. "A disfured swastika" is an accurate description, and while a Nazi symbol might be bold statement, I'm not sure it sends out the "right message".

I am a 17-year-old, and therefore part of their target audience, and I am in no way inspired by this logo. And it is not even "street".

Andrew, London,

It's awful! Even when it's animated - it looks like a technicolour yawn splattering onto the pavement!

David McMillan, Glasgow, Scotland

When I first saw it I saw the piece with London written on it as a very sketchy map of Britain! I can just about see it as swastikas broken up but I still can't see 2012 in it. What does the little square in the middle stand for? Or is it 20.12, as in 12 minutes past 8pm?

As for this being everybody's olympics, dream on! How are all these young people going to participate? The participants will be few and far between and we already know who a lot of them are. Apparently a lot of schoolkids think they will actually be able to take part. Aren't they going to be disappointed!
Presumably however our lovely government thinks that watching and paying for the blasted thing is participating. If so, that would explain a lot of the so called consultation which has gone on by them recently. Personally I shall pay as little towards it as I possibly can (no lottery cards etc) and I shall find something else to do when the day finally dawns.

alexandria, Sheffield, UK

If this cost £400,000 what would the Committee feel is the fair price for an ice cream at the Games

Dr. Norman Ashford, Bournemouth, Dorset

400,000 pounds! Why didn't we challenge the capitals 6th formers to come up with a design, pay the winner a couple of grand and then invest the rest of the rediculous fee towards improving our athletes chances by getting them some top of the range training/coaching/equipment?
Oh i forgot, the whole point of the games is not athletics, but how to make MONEY!

keith, reading, UK

We are told the new logo is "bold". If this is an example of the marketing skills which will make the 2012 Olympics a success then the 2012 Olympics will boldly go where the Dome went before.
I spent 40 plus years working for Fast Moving Consumer Goods Companies with big international marketing budgets. If one of our marketing teams had come up with so poor a logo both they and the logo would have been binned.
The UK needs a regeneration of infrastructure and not money wasted on the 2012 Olympics, whose costs will not be self liquidating. Ho Hum, par for the course for the Blair administration.
I hope to spend the period away from London and if possible from the UK.

Daniel Cramer, Welwyn, Herts

It's a shame there was no competition it could have been thrown open to the under elevens instead of just the under fives. Mind you, if style guru Livingstone doesn't like it it must have something going for it.

Sean, Greece,

Is there a coincidence between the Government's concern over excess alcohol drinking in the home and the launch of this cognitively challenged mess?

Bernard Bedford, Southampton,

I like it. And I hope the London team have the gumption to stick by it. It's infinitely less twee and patronising than what has gone before (who wants ad-land boomerangs and Inuit sculptures?) and it's a blessed relief to be spared a logo-ized version of the London skyline. I predict blow-out sales of the t-shirts.

kanga, London,

I think Lord Coe and his team have succeeded in raising the profile of the 2012 games. Maybe not how they imagined but few logos elicit such a public response. Let’s hope the same people are not quickly alienated if they feel London and the UK is being misrepresented. You’ve got the public involved – now listen to them.

Catherine Carr, London, UK

Rubbish

Joan Ashford, Bournemouth, Dorset

What boring unimaginative readers you have. The logo and animation are great. Also, don't forget how many of the previous games' logo's were slated by their public when first released but didn't seem so bad when people were used to them. Lighten up a bit!

mike, herne bay,

Nah, it's perfect--for the 1984 games.

David Traver Adolphus, Bennington, VT

I didn't see 2012 in the logo untl I was told. And I thought our capital city was spelled with a capital 'L"!

Norman Green, Lutterworth, UK

John James Connolly, Middle Village, NY, USA:

No £ key on your US keyboard?

Try this: Hold down the Alt key and type 156 on the numeric keypad.

Release the Alt key, and there it is!

Tony J, , Swanage, UK

The more I look at it the more ridiculous it looks.... sigh*

Robert, London,

BOYCOT IT ! This is supposed to represent a proud English nations logo for the Olympic games to the rest of the world but it is an absolute joke. I have spoken on the phone to some friends abroad and they are laughing at it saying only the English would accept it without a fight. We are now being told that no, it will not be changed despite looking like an epileptic spider. So, like a bunch of sheep we moan about it but do nothing to stop it.
I think an alternative (underground) logo should be designed and sold alongside this rubbish, (although the government would stop unauthorised merchandise as it looses them profit). I will not be buying anything with this on and if I'm to be treated like a child and TOLD what I will have then I have lost all interest in these games. Indeed if this is a foretaste of whats to come the whole event will be a shambles and bring disgrace and ridicule on the U.K.

Mike Jones, Farnborough, Hampshire

Although I like the logo, it seems silly to have spent that kind of money to come up with a design. I'm sure something equally attractive could have been achieved through a contest. Heck, if you charged a small fee to enter the contest, it would have been revenue instead of cost!

Not-too-smart, Miami, FL, USA

What is it?

Trevor D. Evans, Drulingen, France

Ooooops, Looooondon's yooooof might think this shoddy design is "street", but the only winners here are Wolff Olins.
This might be the first time I have ever agreed with Ken Livingstone.
I suggest we use the Olympic torch to set fire to all copies of this poor excuse for a logo and start again.

Justin Silver, London, United Kingdom

If they wanted to appeal to youth, why didn't they get a youthful graffitti artist to design the logo, would only have cost about £100. All the other graffitti criminals could have copied it and provided free advertising on trains, bridges, people fences, etc.

Christine ter Meulen, Hayes, Middlesex, England

I don't really care

Nick Mortimer, London,

That's meant to appeal to young people? What kind of young people exactly? Because personally (as one of said young people) I think it's hideous... If we have to be told that the emblem is meant to be the numbers '2012' then it's not really doing its job is it? Scroll back through the logos of old and it becomes clear that the last one as poor as ours came well before graphics were what they are today - we have no excuse! It's not going to reach out and unite the world, Lord Coe, if it can't even make it into the hearts of the British.

Eleanor, Matlock, Derbyshire

To be honest I think it looks a lot better than all the other logos in the slideshow. And incidentally looking through I don't believe any of them have an image of the host city on them.

Why are we all complaining about it? If people never tried anything new then we'd never get anywhere. Okay, so it might fall flat on its face...but it might also work really well. Just because everyone was expecting something more conservative, doesn't make it bad.

Typical British

Mike Blitz, Winchester, UK

Perhaps Banksy will be the 2012 mascot!

Jack O'Hern, Lincoln,

Its like a bad migraine! I am quite sure a national competition for 5 years old would have produced a more inspiring logo at a fraction of the cost.

sheelagh, Stockport, Cheshire

I love this! Think it's like something from the 'Krypton Factor'.

Judi Martin, aberdeen , united kingdom

At first I thought, ugh, what a strange design - too angular and aggressive looking. I then took a look at the slide show of the previous Olympic logos, and changed my mind. They were all so samey, as if they were following a template set by the Olympic committee. So bravo London for coming up with something challenging and outside our comfort zone, which is what the Olympics is all about!

Sally, Surrey, UK

The logo recommended for the London 2012 Olympics is bad. What does it represent? Can you draw it? And the animated clip I viewed on television will surely be a turn-off for epileptic viewers? We already have a well loved design which is associated by much of the world as representing London: I am thinking of the traditional London Transport Roundel. Surely this would be a splendid improvement?

John Howard Norfolk, Tiverton, Devon, England

I've looked at the previous logos as suggested by Mr Briffar. Nice, bright, attractive aren't they?

Tony Jones, Grantham, UK

£400,000 for this! All I see is the word Zoo not 2012. If you wanted it more 'street' why go to a corporate engine to design it. Surely in the spirit of the Olympics, that is competition, why not give young 'street' artists a competition to design one. Oh no, the Olympics isn't about competition, it's about corporate sponsorship. A missed opportunity, that's my verdict.

Steve, Burgess Hill, Sussex

No harm in replaceng it with any other design and it will cost £400.000 less-it may actually earn that amount on a TV phone -in for the best design competition.

No Medals, London,

I like the logo.

Jules, Sheffield, UK

L400,000. Sebastian Coe reminds us that Track is not a team sport. "Broken Swastika" is the best description of his mind's efforts. L400,000. The lady who designed the Nike "Swoosh" Logo got US$35 for her efforts. L400,000. Are you nuts? The design is crap, pure and simple. Hopefully it does not reflect the present intellectual and artistic level of today's United Kingdom. It is an embarrassment. Put it out to a competition!!

John James Connolly, Middle Village, NY, USA

£400,000 for that.......... I predict the final bill for the games will be staggeringly high if this is anything to go by. My 83 year old father thought it looked like a couple of Swastikas and he was not amused!!!

Paul, Harrogate,

I thought it was meant to represent Tony Blair's departure - falling apart with the 5 rings for the continents he had visited to say goodbye to on our behalf.

Raymond, Haslemere, England

Erk. I sincerely doubt that bit of nonsense is going to appeal to the "yoof" of today. Jo Toy from Derby has it right- get them actually involved, and something worth having might have emerged. And it probably wouldn't have had a silly price-tag.

Personally, I plan to spend the duration of the London Olympics somewhere else, possibly hiking in Europe. The 2012 games might go down in history as "no-one's games"...

Heulwen Price, Melbourne, Australia

What a load of rubbish - I didn't even realise at first that those jagged lines were actually supposed to be the numbers 2012. I think my cat could have designed better. And I really cannot believe that it took someone a year and cost £400,000. If that is absolutely the best they could come up with then I think we've been robbed. It really is just awful.

Sheila, Basingstoke, Hants

Yes I looked at the slide show. All of them are better than that piece of window smashing tat. The animation is even more mind boggling. It's enough to give you a fit. Not for the faint hearted. And it doesn't look like 2012 at all more like 20IR. Admit the mistake, get a better design. There's still time.

Ali, margate, UK

Is it London staggering under the burden of staging the Games or is the effect of terrorism on the Games?

Chris, Essex, UK

They said that it was finded privately. Was the source of that funding happy with the return?

Paul Nickell, Wolves, UK

Sponsors beware!

With the public obviously so against this logo. with views ranging from rubbish to "this will make Britain a laughing stock," sponsors might want to think twice before adopting this mess.

And with Coe and his team obviously not giving a damn about what the public thinks about the logo, perhaps he will listen to annoyed sponsors.

Stop letting your selves be conned by the admen! This is why celebs should not run companies!

Joss Sanglier, Stony Stratford, Bucks

How could 400,000 pounds have been spent on designing this? Simply scandalous, but such consultancies are the bold logo of New Labour! The logo should have featured a well known London landmark.

Paul, Paris, France

My immediate thought was of the German "SS" logo. On further reflection, it is more like the pieces of a swastika. Is this the image we want?

Rex Imperator, Crowland, Lincolnshire, UK

Absolute rubbish. I will be ashamed of it. Spoilt the image of what we are trying to portray.

B Johnston, London,

I am very concerned that so much money was spent on it and that there was no competition for the best design (that would have got a lot more people behind it) but, I have to say, I like it!

S. Delaney, London,

What a mess! It clashes, it's ugly and it offends the eyes. If this is a symbol of what is to come I will try to estivate for the Olympic season.
Bearing in mind the spendthrift nature of the project, I suggest a more appropriate symbol would be three brass balls on a field of deepest red, with two Olympic rings added.

Richard Cooper, Dunstable, England

What a boring, conservative bunch of people we are! Has anyone who has complained about the new logo looked at the dull, unimaginative logos for previous Olympics? Look at the slide show on this page. The London logo is a refreshing change. Who cares that there isn't a picture of London on there? There hasn't been a host city on any other recent logo, and we would have had complaints that the logo was too London-centric! Damned if you do and damned if you don't. The logo looks great - the test will be to see what the following Olympic logos will look like. Will they revert to the pre-London type? I think not.

Dominic Briffa, Bandar, Brunei

Mr.Blair may get his wish. This might indeed persuade those who can to make a positive change in their life - to get out of a UK that glories is such depravities as this.

Bill McCann, Suzhou, China

To call this expensive and shabby series of blobs 'pathetic' would be an insult to pathos. Surely we can do better than this?

Andrew, Milford Haven,

Jo Toy, spot on!

Ian Dickson, Brighton, UK

It is 'orrible. £440,000 for what? If Seb Coe was street-wise, he would have made contact with the right graffiti agency, who would have produced a far better product for a great deal less. It is so bad, it has to be a contender for the Turner Prize.

M Fishman, London UK,

I like it. When i first saw it as a static picture in the newspapers, it looked awful, but seen in animation, as it ws designed to be seen, it is dynamic, colourful, exciting and vibrant. I think it is a brilliant design. I understand people's first reaction, it is so radical. it will grow on u.

anthony wong, london, UK

Logo in five bits in abstract format is rather labourous and cumbersome. It is disjointed and pathetic.

M Husain, London,

Having 2012 as the focus of the logo doesn't make it "everyone's games". Didn't the consultants realise that many parts of the world have different dating methods? In this sense it excludes many different religions and cultures. All logos prior have had the year, but it has only been a part of a wider design, not THE design. One wonders what the true intention is ... (enter your favourite conspiracy theory here).

Rob, Northolt,

Apart from a very expensive exercise and childlike drawing, perhaps school children could have been invited in a competition to come up with something, it is the choice of colours that is confusing. Why bright pink, bright orange and bright magenta? What is wrong with our national colours of red, white and blue? Does it have a hidden meaning? Or is this yet another ploy to indicate a move away from our national culture, identity and traditions into the confused world of multiculturalism?

Kenneth Armitage, Suffolk, England

400,000 pounds on a logo when they already had a perfectly good one (the one with the Thames going through London 2012)

It's an irresponsible waste, no wonder they're going to be WAY over budget..........

Imagine what the Opening Ceremony is going to be like!!!
It'll be like a Martians Tea Party. I doubt they'll be many Pearly Queens doing the Lambeth Walk, they've all have moved to Spain & Australia by 2012.

Jon, Northumberland, UK

It looks like a lifeless attempt at a graffito by someone with no energy or talent. There are so many brilliant graffiti out there. Why didn't they start a design competition open to the young people they claim to be aiming at?

Jo Toy, Derby, UK

What is lacking in the logo is a sense of cultural identity. It matters not whether you change the name 'London' to anywhere else in the world. BUT you cannot do that with the Chinese, Athens or the Sydney Olympic logo. London is so proud to host the Olympic. But that sense of pride does not show on the logo.

That logo is going to be laughed at until history ends. Worst still, it is not going to raise any money that the Olympic committee might hope.

Molly, York,

It really is an insult to London.

Was it designed by a team of Frenchmen or Spaniards looking for revenge?

And is me or does it look vaguely like a Swastika?

Joey, London,