I must admit I like the London 2012 logo.

While unique in its design the London 2012 emblem is purely English. It resembles the style of Neville Brody, a renowned British designer and art director. Furthermore, unlike emblems of the past, it comes into its own within the digital environment – in fact it looks almost unfulfilled when not fully animated. However I accept the emblem challenges as opposed to inspire; which brings me on to my next declaration…

I am dumbfound at the way the London 2012 Organising Committee went about the process.

In a public statement they the London 2012 Organising Committee confidently stated “London 2012 will be everyone’s Games, everyone’s 2012. This is the vision at the very heart of the new London 2012 brand.” Furthermore, the brand was designed to embody four “brand pillars” of access, participation, stimulation and inspiration.

If participation is at the heart of the London 2012 brand, why was the brand conceived in such an exclusive way? Why not harness the power of social media to inspire, challenge and share the conception of the London 2012 emblem with the people? Was Wolff Olins, the London branding agency responsible for the design, the only entity capable of providing input into the London 2012 brand?

The London 2012 Organising Committee should have leveraged the influence and power of social media to deliver on their promise London 2012 would be “Everybody’s Games”. In partnerships with the major youth and adult social networks such as Bebo and MySpace and local councils, a forum for sharing ideas, designs could have been created. While access to this forum would have been restricted to those with internet access, it would have opened up multiple commercial opportunities to bring young people online.

Far from being a public consultation, it would have been an opportunity to involve youth in the development of ideas to shape the brand. The launch of the London 2012 blog and the Create Your Own Design section on the London 2012 site is a half-hearted attempt to embrace social media.

The on-going debate and participation on the merits of the existing emblem is healthy. Exactly what the London 2012 Organising Committee should have aimed for during the process of creating the London 2012 brand.

london 2012, 2012, olympics, london olympic webliquid