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'It's a global brand and they missed a trick'

Caversham duo Chris and Richard Voysey are the brains behind the alternative 2012 Olympics logo voted most popular by BBC website users. Find out how they put the logo together and how well they think the real logo will fare in future.

As far as it'll go? The logo on BBC News

If you felt underwhelmed when London's 2012 Olympics authorities revealed their new logo, you weren't the only one.

Thousands of people have had their say on the logo on the BBC News website. But for Richard and Chris Voysey, from Caversham, knocking the design wasn't enough.

Instead they set about putting together their own version - and they say it took them less than half an hour.

Listen: Chris & Richard Voysey with Andrew Peach >

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"We're not experts, we're designers," Richard Voysey told BBC Berkshire. "It's how we think.

"To be honest I thought the whole presentation was a bit cheesy. All the talk of a vision for the future was naff."
Richard Voysey

"There's no vested interest in us getting involved, we were just talking, I pulled out my graphics tablet and we thought, why don't we do it."

'Global brand'

Chris Voysey explained the ideas behind their alternative design.

"The issue was to bring out the main brand values. We felt the official logo wasn't big on the word 'London'.

"This is a global brand, not just for the UK, and we felt they'd missed a trick there. It's a fairly common trick to replace numerals for characters.

"We wanted to big up on the Olympic rings as well of course, and keep everything on equal billing."

Richard Voysey

In two minds

The pair accept their alternative logo is unlikely to garner official status. "I can't see it happening at all, certainly with the investment they've made," admits Chris.

And despite their logo having formed the figurehead of campaigns to replace the official version, they don't sound too pessimistic about the 2012 Games' actual branding.

"There are a lot of promises about developing it and we'll have to see what happens as they move forward with the campaign," Chris adds.

"We're in two minds about the official logo. Certain aspects were good but I was less keen on all the graffiti aspects.

"It was a lot of hype and any logo with those expectations would come in for a fair amount of flak."

'Radical' design

"To be honest I thought the whole presentation was a bit cheesy," says Richard. "All the talk of a vision for the future was naff.

"Rather than just having that one definitive 'reveal', they might have been better running a teaser campaign to introduce it slowly with a lot of live-action sport."

Ultimately, says Chris, the designers behind the 2012 logo might have been better advised to have kept things simple under the weight of public expectation.

"Given the general cynicism behind the Olympics, and the anxieties there are with the cost, there was always going to be a good level of scrutiny.

"In being that radical, they set themselves quite a task."

Here is a link to the webpage which contains the BBC News Online poll:

BBC News Online: Logo >

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

last updated: 20/05/2008 at 14:14
created: 07/06/2007

Have Your Say

What do you think of Richard and Chris's new logo?

Jake
I think it is a brilliant idea but has been done to many times by other people elswhere on the internet it is also a very obvious idea that many people cna tthink of

JD
100% improvement on that pink and yellow pile of...you get my drift

Chris Hall
It's a great logo guys...when u selling the T-shirts?

Phil
Imaginative, clever design. Simple, eminently wearable (I'd buy a tshirt with that on. I wouldn't wipe my floor with a tshirt with the official one on...). While it's not my personal favourite among the many reader submissions (that honour falls to James Wren's design, if it could be given an initial capital letter...)it's a far better logo than the monstrosity that was unleashed recently...

RON TAYLOR
Brilliant. They held the flag high for British graphic designers.

michelle r
can't knock it for design potential, but it's a little 'safe' the year is now 2007 and in 5 years time it will need to be a logo that doensn't appear to have dated and still look fresh, need clear lines and become an icon. think of the brand icons/logos of shell, BP, coke, HP Invent... you can recognise these from a distance and there's no debate what it is. haven't seen any alternative nor the official one that I can say I'd be proud of.

Robert Sheppard
When I saw Richard's logo I was totally amazed. It is EXACTLY like a logo we created for the original bid way back in 2003. We will happily send ours in for comparison. Great minds think alike.

lizzy
As soon as I saw their logo, I thought how much better it is than the 'official' one. It's succinct and cleverly designed. I hope the ptb realise their error and use this one!

John Jenkin
Absolutely spot on. Simple, clear and says it all. There should have been an invitation to everyone interested to enter their ideas. I am sure that Richard and Chris would have featured near the top and without the huge cost involved.

Les walker
Brilliant captures all that is needed. The official logo is un readable, had to be explained and is taking on the 'Emperors New Clothes' attitude from the defenders of it.

Leigh Rumble
I think their design is fantastic, simple and to the point. I'd vote for theirs!

Ellie
A logo Londoners can be proud of.. and the rest of the country!

lisa mellor
i think the logo is fantastic, i would certainly pay for a t shirt with this logo on, whereas the current one isnt worth printing on toilet paper. where on earth they come up with a £400,000. price tag for that load of rubbish amazes me. this should have been put out for all the schools in the uk to compete in.

ALAN ROGERS
RICHARD & CHRIS 10/10OFFICIAL LOGO 0/10

Christina
Excellent design very clever.

Tiff&Tori
We think that this logo is the best and much better than the one being used in the 2012 olympic games now why ddi people chose that one.

chris hook
Brilliant, at last some sense!

Janice Dallison
Very clever with an easily recognisable message.I am astounded why so much charity money was spent on the actual image with so many other things to be provided prior to the Olympic event.

paul maskens
Simple, effective.Maybe add a small upstroke to the 1 of the n as a gesture to Europe.

Andy Law
Fantastic logo! I would be very happy to wear it on a tee shirtWhy didnt the olympic committte have a competition for schools to design the logo with cash prizes going to the schools.How can such a crap logo(or even a good one) cost £400,000 ?????

Alan (Glasgow)
Fantastic new design... Would love to see that as the official logo, other than the abhorrant peice of trash that was officially chosen... I did better art than that when I was 10... Sooner they change it and choose this clever design THE BETTER

david robinson
i think the idea of incorporiting the word london is interesting, but keep working on it. is there a way we can make those boring rings a little more interesting?

Mark Nalewaj
I think it would be a good idea if they would start selling T-shirts with Richard and chris's version of the olympic logo. I'd be glad to wear it and hope other Londoners do so to to show their support.

susan fidler
i think their logo should be used instead and the other one put, whoops, can't say that, but i think you can guess. sorry.

gary
that is fantastic

BRYAN SNEDDON
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT IN ITS SIMPLICITY. STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. NO DOUBTS AS TO ITS MEANING. WHOEVER AUTHORISED THE OFFICIAL LOGO SHOULD BE MADE TO APPOLOGISE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE BRITISH ISLES AND PAY FOR IT FROM HIS/HERS/THEIR OWN POCKETS

Marc Lemmon
Looks great, I love the simplicity and their reasoning for the design is sound. I think the Olympic rings would would look better thicker though and they need to be encapsulated in a black circle or oval that would sit neatly between the head of the 2 and the ascender of the d. This would lock the two elements together using the colour black as the common bond. If you want any other comments or feedback feel free to email [email protected]. CheersMarc LemmonPeel Creativewww.peelcreative.co.uk

Nora
it is great. Far superior to the official one

Sacha Zarb
Bland and cliche at it's finest

Alec Stevens
The alternative Olympic logo winner was selected from 6 logos that had been chosen as best, from the first 22 recieved NOT the over 600 to date. The BBC News Report & website feature give a rather unbalanced view of the event and more credence to the winner than was warranted from being preferred from 6 of 22 I've no doubt the result would have been different and more representative had they ALL been considered. BBC London has a current display of 84 with at least 6 equally as good or better. It should be made clear this is the best of 6 from 22 not give the impression it was the best of many

DENNIS
GREAT LETS GIVE HIM THE CONTRACT IT COULD BE WORN ON A TEE SHIRT BY ALL AGES IT HAS UNIVERSAL.

Roger Gardiner
Brilliant! much more exciting

Kasia
Excellent!

Tony Hannaford
er... didn't I see it (or something very similar) as one of the designs submitted in the logo competition at the time of the olympic bid?

Pete
far better!

Sandra Savage
Brilliant, clean, crisp, instantly recognisable for what it is.

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