Olympics 2021: The best and worst official logos over the years
From Yahoo News : https://news.yahoo.com/olympics-2021-best-worst-games-logos-over-years-153312900.html?guccounter=1
The Olympic Cauldron burns in front of the London 2012 logo. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
When it comes to official logos, the Olympic Games has thrown up some iconic logos which have since become retro sporting classics.
Yet, designers summoned by chiefs to produce the goods haven’t always come up trumps.
Some logos have been rubbished by critics and Olympic aficionados over the years, while others are widely revered for years after the games.
Here are some of the best and worst in Olympic history.
Montreal Olympics – 1976
For the 1976 summer games, the Olympic rings were transformed into a giant red “M”, for Montreal.
It was created by Georges Huel, who also helped design the Olympic torch.
Not everyone was a fan if the 1976 logo: legendary graphic designer Milton Glaser once said it was “perhaps more appropriate for a manufacturer of paper towels”.
Sydney Olympics – 2000
The logo for the Sydney Olympics was the brainchild of Aussie architect and designer Michael Bryce.
The design took inspiration from the Sydney Opera House and Aboriginal boomerangs to form a stunning piece of art.
“The gestural quality of the drawing and the typography makes the entire mark feel harmonious,” Glaser said.
London Olympics – 2012
Design brand Wolff Olins created the 2012 logo with the intent of making it highly visible on TV screens.
It caused controversy, with critic Alice Rawsthorn among those to savage it as “garish”.
“I felt then – and still feel now – that the 2012 logo was memorable for the wrong reasons,” Rawsthorn said.
“It looked too garish with its clumsy typography and garish shapes.
“The nadir came when viewers complained to the BBC that an animated version has caused epileptic fits.”
Lord Sebastian Coe poses for photographs at the launch of the 2012 Olympic logo. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
Tokyo Olympics – 2020 (2021)
The original design for the Tokyo Olympics also sparked controversy when it was unveiled.
The organising committee had to scrap Kenjiro Sano’s design over allegations he had copied the emblem of a Belgian theatre.
“I take a lot of time with every design, nurturing them like children,” claimed Sano.
“So for this kind of talk to emerge is really unfortunate and kind of sad.”
The logo was eventually changed to the below design, by Tokyo-based artist Asao Tokolo.
However, there was further controversy when organisers decided to stick with the “Tokyo 2020” caption despite the games being postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.