With the official motto for the upcoming London Olympic Games being “Inspire a Generation”, the International Olympic Committee or the IOC never actually thought that their motto would actually inspire a whole generation to hate the logo of the Olympic Games. The emblem that was unveiled to the public for the first time in 2007 has been adorning the billboards almost all over the city as well as other parts of the country and in many other countries as well which are scheduled to have the Olympic Flame.

When the logo was unveiled for the first time 5 years ago, a petition was launched on GoPetition.com known as the ‘Change the London 2012 Logo’. The creator who launched the petition was of the opinion that the logo of the Olympic Games in London was an embarrassment and also that it portrayed the host city and the nation in the worst way possible. The petition became so popular that it gathered more than 50,000 signatures from people who wanted the logo to be changed in just 2 days. However, after 2 days, the creator closed the petition as it became increasingly clear that the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games would, in no way, change the logo for the Games.

That was not all. It was only in 2011 when the national Olympic Committee of Iran claimed that the logo was racist because there were some believers who claimed that the word ‘Zion’ could easily be seen in the abstract design of the logo. Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee was quick to dismiss these claims, stating that the logo had nothing to do with sectarianism or racism and that it represented the year 2012.

According to the IOC, the logo for the 2012 London Olympic Games stands out with its boldness. The emblem includes the famous Olympic Rings; one of the recognizable brands in the world, ‘London’ – the word has also been incorporated into the logo as the designers felt that the name of the host city should find its way into the logo because of the diversity of the city. Moreover, this is also the first time that the logo for the Olympic Games as well as the Paralympic Games are based on the same core design, which reflects the desire and commitment of the city to host an integrated Paralympic Games.

Some are of the opinion that the IOC should seriously consider the logo from the point of view of the Olympic Games and what it stands for instead of drawing in money from its corporate branding. One of the critics went as far as to state that there is nothing to the logo other than a splash of really bright colors that are more than enough to cause an eyesore.

Whatever it is, no matter how many controversies are created by it, the IOC and the Organizing Committee of the London Olympic Games have no problems with the logo and will continue the games with it.