Jump to content

The Look of the games


Recommended Posts

There seems to be weirdly a bit of a lack of look in North London. There's some around Camden and Hackney, but none in Shoreditch from what I've seen through Caledonian Road and Holloway Road.

South London is absolutely caked in the stuff. Brixton High Street, Clapham High Street, Kennington Road, all over the shop.

Obviously I appreciate there isn't enough money to dress every street from end to end, and prefer the idea of clustering the look into central areas that will get the most exposure, but it is a bit of an oddity that you get a small area (like outside King's Cross) and then as The Tower Bridge Fox said none in the area where the torch will eventually be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

It does seem to be quite random. Bits just keep appearing in places; there's a few banners appeared along Victoria St yesterday and I spotted the Brixton ones too earlier this week. Have to say that they look quite sparse; they're not that big and don't scream out at you as much as other 'event' banners I've sen in the past. Very subtle!

I wonder if there are none for the 'torch' area because they bring their own? Those stand-up feather ones seem to follow the torch around?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have to say that they look quite sparse; they're not that big and don't scream out at you as much as other 'event' banners I've sen in the past. Very subtle!

My thoughts exactly. The other night I was on the top deck of the bus on way to West end after work. I must have passed by the whole stretch of Theobald Rd before I actually start noticing the banners are up all along the road. They really are very subtle and not as big as I like it to be. Effectively from quick glance they are just block colour and the small white writing doesn't stand out from the colour. Also because of the spacing of each lamp post, they are quite sparsely arranged. I think that's why they are not as eye catching as they should be. Shame though, the surrounding seems to overpower the banners.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In your peripheral vision the banners are essentially an empty single colour background. Wouldn't be surprised if most people don't even realised they are up there. Pity they didn't manage to really jazz up the city and make people notice the change as Olympic banners should be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love Stratford gate. The venues are starting to look really fantastic. I wanted to see more venue pics though : )

The fact they worked with broadcasters to make sure each shot is branded is a great idea too. Its such a positive article from CR, they were pretty dismissive of the logo so its a nice they seem to have won over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess it's a case of don't like this one.... wait and a different angle will please your taste.

Im still of the opinion that the look is a hit and miss one.

Infact, I've never before been confronted with a design look of an Olympics which can be so amazing in some applications, and so .... soso, in others.

Im looking at the use on the front page of the Results app and it looks friggin awesome, the angled lines and shards coming out of *RESULTS* is the perfect application of the look.

The venues look like they will make good use of the look, the integration of the pictograms and the intersecting lines are great, and Im liking the larger urban projects.

On the other hand, I still look at alot of banners and they don't scream Olympics to me. Some of the finer lines just don't work unless you're right up against them, they just don't really look *special* enough to be marking the fact that these are an Olympic Games.

I don't particularly think what London has done is *better* than what others have done in the past, but it's different, and that is certainly great in itself.

The logo for instance, it has worked well. But for what London's logo is dynamic and *cutting edge*, I don't see it as any better as some of the running man logos of the 90s. Yes they are traditional, but that's not always a bad thing.

I feel for instance, that what the Barcelona logo is of the traditional mould (though not at the time), it has a warmth to it that the London logo lacks.

Is the London look integration better than the Nagano caligraphic design mixed with oragami styled starting gates etc etc? Is the *mtv generation* look any better than the classical look of Atlanta which reeked of Olympism, or the special coming home graphics of Athens?

Horses for courses I guess.

Overall, Im generally pleased , but I don't find it so mind blowingly better than what we've seen before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love Stratford gate. The venues are starting to look really fantastic. I wanted to see more venue pics though : )

The fact they worked with broadcasters to make sure each shot is branded is a great idea too. Its such a positive article from CR, they were pretty dismissive of the logo so its a nice they seem to have won over.

The Stratford Gate is also one of my fave elements of the Park in terms of how the Look is used. It looks like giant word clouds screaming welcome, brilliant! Other than this, the branding behind Aquatics dive towers is another winner. Both of these examples show how the branding evolved out of the mould and create something really unique!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

great article form my old magazine CR.

i like what locog have done - it is not though one of my favourite looks - LA 84 and Athens 04 are still the ones to beat - IMO

i think it is better than beijing though. have seen the treatment in the main stadium and the approaches to the stadium and it does all hang together really well.

i have also seen the 3D graphic elements on the jumbotron screens = awseome!

finally - Michelle - glad you are getting excited! it's been quite a ride getting here - let's hope for half decent weather and good will all round!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think more oftan than not, it will do its job well enoughl. In high concentrations (like in those Glasgow pics) and certain applications (digitially, mainly), it will look brilliant. The venues will look clean and put together, and has been the case with every Games in the past decade, the consultation with photographers and TV directors will ensure the Games' mark will be very visible.

But the design itself still feels terribly uninspired compared to motfs' like Vancounvers and Athens'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think more oftan than not, it will do its job well enoughl. In high concentrations (like in those Glasgow pics) and certain applications (digitially, mainly), it will look brilliant.

That's precisely it. In tight runs of colour or over big spaces, it looks great. The smaller ones on widely spaced lamp-posts lack power. I'd walked past a row of about 8 of them today near Victoria when I realised they were there and it took me pointing them out to my colleagues for them to notice. Then again, I don't expect it helps that they're of a similar size to the 'Think Bike' and other street campaigns so people are used to seeing things there and don't realise that they are Olympic specific.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...