2012 Features

Organising committee chairman Lord Coe said: "It meets the biggest challenge we have over the next five years, which is reaching out to young people."

For the first time, the logo will be used for the Olympics and Paralympics.

Coe added: "It is interactive and absolutely at the heart of what we need to do - engaging the attention of young people through new media and the virtual world they can get transported into.

"It will be imperative that it is flexible. I think it is way beyond any simple logo.

"It reaches out to young people in new and creative ways and uses the language that they understand and all the technology that is familiar to us.

"It is different, exciting and it really defines us as a city, a country and an organisation."

Youth involvement was a key selling-point in helping London win the right to host the Games.

Organisers want to trigger greater youth participation in sports, arts and culture.

"We have been involved in this process now for over a year," added Coe. "We have done a lot of work about this and spoken to over 60 stakeholders and young people who each insist that we understand the challenges faced on a day-to-day basis.

"We have produced a brand which is appropriate for London, but it has an international character as well. This is different absolutely."

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said: "This is a truly innovative brand logo that graphically captures the essence of the London 2012 Olympic Games - namely to inspire young people around the world through sport and the Olympic values.

"Each edition of the Olympic Games brings its own flavour and touch to what is now well over a century of modern Olympic history; the brand launched today by London 2012 is, I believe, an early indication of the dynamism, modernity and inclusiveness with which London 2012 will leave its Olympic mark."

The brand, designed by Wolff Ollins, has been targeted at the young people the organisers hope to get involved.

It is a deliberate change from previous Olympic logos, which often feature an image from the city.

Lord Coe and London organising committee chief executive Paul Deighton were joined by a team of Olympic ambassadors for the launch at London's Roundhouse.

Your views

Andy 182
yo dude the guy who designed it is an absolute IDIOT! i dont think he has realised that the whole nation hates it! And the stupidest thing is that NO ONE LIKES IT and they wont change it! OMG!!

Karen Allen
Went to Wolff Ollins website, wolffollins.com, and saw the different ways the logo can look. It changed my mind and now I find the logo very interesting, although, I still do not like the Pink/Yellow version. ;)

Chris
It is the ugliest logo i have ever seen give me a pencil and two mins and i can do something better...

mark
why would you spend millions of the goverments fund on that ...thing its ugly the money could of gone to hospitals and schools

dean
i do not like the logo it is very poor it looks like it has been done by a 3 year old

moker
It's an insult.

amy
i dont like it!! its stupid and a p1 could do better get thinking

ellie
Well I'm a 'youth' at 15 but I don't think that this logo is designed particuarly well. I like the bold colour and the jagged shapes but I think the designers should have stuck with one striking symbol as a logo, as aposed to congregating a number of shapes. Furthermore the font is awful.

Esther Etim
As an 18 year old I can honestly say that that does not appeal to youth in any way! It hideous! With all that time and money do you really mean to tell me THAT was the best logo they came up with?! I am HIGLY disappointed and I also fail to see how it represents London! We have 5 more years to change this mess! Please do something about it!

simon
This mess of vector graphics is not even eligible. It’s supposed to represents us as a city and a country??? That’s a joke. No creative thought has been used in its production! The Olympics is an EPIC event, which should have a considerable amount of thought processes gone into its design. How dose it really represent us as a country, and more importantly, London being the core of design for England, how dose it reflect on British Graphic Designers????

James Blackburn
The LOgo looks rubbish, whilst studying images in ICT I think I could have done better on paint. It looks like something off Blue Peter

james bell
SHOCKING is all i can say!!!

Unknown
NO, it is crap...my gran could do better!!

tom
no, it cost £400,000 which, in my opinion, is a rather large amounnt of money for a child's drawing. when you say it is beyond any simple logo, it's just a load of shapes!!!