I am always interested in cool logos, and the logo for the London 2012 olympic games is one that I really like. It prompted me to take a look at the logos for the other four candidate cities (Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris).
What I like about the London logo is how it represents the River Thames, a popular waterway that runs through and is an integral part of London. In the same way, the ribbon representing the Thames runs through and is an integral part of the logo. The five colours of the olympic rings represents all the countries of the world, and thus all the different races, ethnicities and peoples. London is a very multicultural city that represents peoples from all over the world, so the ribbon in the logo represents how these different cultures are not only integral to the olympics but to London itself.
Madrid’s logo is pretty simple. I like the warm colours chosen for the flame and the words “Madrid 2012”. To me, they represent the warmth of the people there, as well as the warm weather of the Mediterranean. In addition, the colours seem to have an old world feel to them, suggesting Madrid as a well established and secure place. I also like how the logo itself seems to represent both a bird’s-eye view of a flag and the olympic torch; a subtle but interesting design.
This logo was interesting in the fact that it incorporated the idea of the Red Square and the Kremlin—two areas central to Moscow—in its design. Beyond that, however, I was not overly impressed. It seemed a bit too trendy and reeked too much of communism for my taste. In addition, the treatment of “Moscow 2012” made it appear too small to read comfortably when the image was reduced to that above. Overall, I think the design would be more appropriate for a postage stamp than an olympic stadium.
The New York logo was very lively and vibrant. The use of merging the Statue of Liberty with an athlete was also clever. However, it seems like a very American logo. It gives off the impression that Americans are winners, which may be a good idea to promote given the Word Trade Centre attacks. Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem to encapsulate the international nature of the Olympics. To me, as well, the use of the olympic colours in the words is a bit overused. That being said, where’s the black in the word “NYC2012” and where’d the light blue come from?
Of all the logos, I disliked this one the most. It seemed very childish and immature. Sure, it was kind of ingenious to include a heart in “Paris 2012”, but why make the heart green? Besides, a heart seems to be a very obvious symbol and perhaps somewhat cheesy. At least they used black in the text. As well, it was the only logo not to include a symbol of some sort, unless you count the heart.
Though I listed the logos in alphabetical order, it seems I have also ordered them in order of my preference for them.
Translations: Russian