“There is absolutely nothing wrong with the new London 2012 Olympics logo, but there is something seriously wrong with the logo-driven branding industry at large.

This new logo clearly proves that as we approach 2012, global society will not respond to conventional logos or graphics, but only to these kinds of insignificant, dysfunctional and obscure design works, which will eventually become branding norms throughout the world. This clearly points to the slow demise of the logo-branding industry. . . .

The release of the London logo half a decade prior to the 2012 games themselves is a strong case in point. Perhaps better than anything it intends to convey, it portrays a future in which the value of a logo will be reduced to a minuscule amount.

Let’s face it, logos are almost dead in this hyper-accelerated society. . . .

The London 2012 games are not at all at the mercy of the new logo, as the ever-unique, powerful and recognizable image of the five rings will provide longevity to the Olympics’ ever-growing brand.

In reality, it’s graphic overload and out-of-control logo treatments that push a brand name identity to the point of no value. What are the logos of Microsoft, Sony or Panasonic . . .

Most smart corporations prefer powerful word marks, as their powerful, recognizable names stand alone in the rough marketplace and are not at the mercy of overblown graphics going through repeated treatments that are commonly labeled as ‘brand positioning.’”

—Naseem Javed, What Does the London 2012 Olympics Logo Prove?, E-Commerce Times, 06/28/07.
The logo is dead! Long live the word mark!