Sign of the Times?

Could the furore over the London Olympics Logo have been avoided?

Perhaps it might have been if the choice of the logo had been made by the public in the first place following a public design competition.

Rather than spend public money on an expensive ad agency, the money could have been ploughed into wider community engagement where:

1. A design competition was held across London reaching out to a wide range of individuals and groups of all ages.

2. A stakeholder group including representatives of ordinary Londoners drew up a shortlist of designs.

3. The shortlist was then voted on through phone and internet polls as well as perhaps a public opinion poll.

This would have secured a design with much greater consensus behind it as well as sending the message that London 2012 was going to involve people from the outset.

In launching the current logo, London 2012 Chair Sebastian Coe said:

"London 2012 will be Everyone's Games, everyone's 2012. This is the vision at the very heart of our brand. It will define the venues we build and the Games we hold and act as a reminder of our promise to use the Olympic spirit to inspire everyone and reach out to young people around the world. It is an invitation to take part and be involved."

Fine words, but I think they missed a trick with a logo that could have been chosen by "everyone"!!