Picture this – a London 2012 mascot
Posted in Media, Marketing, Design, Creative, Branwell Johnson, Latest reporters' blogs October 24th, 2008 by Branwell Johnson
On your marks, get set, go – the race is on to help LOCOG devise the mascot for London 2012 Olympics.
Mascots are becoming increasingly important as financial revenue sources and in helping project the image of a country. But mascot or logo design can go badly wrong.
LOCOG are uncomfortably aware of the hooting of public laughter and the pillorying that surrounded the unveiling of the Wolff Olins-designed 2012 logo, although with the passing of time it seems to have won acceptance – as others on this site have predicted before.
But LOCOG wants to make sure that the public share in the praise – or blame – if the final result proves embarrassing. So agencies, beware, your marvellous vision of an Olympic mascot will be subject to interfering suggestions from the populace. Agencies involved in the final selection should take note of how Germany ran a public vote for its World Cup 2006 football team mascot – the proffered selection was abused right from the start!
My own vote is for a revival in some form of World Cup Willie, England’s 1966 leonine character. It would have to be de-Anglicised and tailored to represent the international spirit of the games but subliminally might it not stir the UK athletes on to win the laurel wreathes?
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Stuart Aitken - IAB’s comment is....
Interesting to see you discussing the great World Cup Willie. You may remember his creator Richard Culley wrote a comment piece for mad.co.uk’s World Cup Special project a couple of years ago. See:
Posted October 27th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
grimble’s comment is....
Oh give the job to Wolff Olins on the basis that it’s not physically possible for them to design anything worse than that godawful logo.
Posted November 24th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
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