Much water has passed under the bridge since last Monday's London 2012 Olympics brand launch. I was quite surprised that no-one (well, only Tom Howe and belleisle made any reference to it) has really given the 2012 font any constructive criticism.
I think only belleisle commented, which probably says a great deal more about the controversial nature of the marque itself than of the choice of supporting typeface which was perhaps a secondary issue in most people's minds:
>>>The corporate typeface they have designed is just as bad, but in my anger I don’t have the will to address that yet.
Have you had a chance to chill yet? If you're anything like me, you're worryingly starting to like the marque, but you're annoyed that you do because, for wahatever reason, you feel like you really shouldn't and have been coaxed and lulled into it against your will because it's not fair that something that breaks so many rules (if rules really exist when it comes to design) can actually force its way into you affections, of which you were sure you were in control. And this is only a week on. And it scares you how much you may come to adore it because your heart tells you that, in an ideal world, love should be at first sight, not at the last. You argue that you only like it because you feel pity for it but then you remember that someone got paid a fortune for doing it and why should you feel sorry for a massive branding agency who have learned to tell people how to think, and always turn out to be right in the long run. And so you're eventually left with only one possibility: You love it because it is rather fine design. And then you will insist that you still hate it (because you think that it would be fickle to admit that you've changed your mind in less than a week). Admit it.
Anyway back to the font, here's a capture from the official website.
Get used to it, you're going to be seeing quite a bit of it in the next few months and years.
Anyone know what it is (Acrobat tells me it's '2012_BoldSIX') and who designed it? I find the circular O's and o's a bit irritating. I think the font (and the logo for that matter) may be patronising in this context. I'm not sure you engage young people by being condescending to give them a look they can 'identify with'. Doesn't wash. It might succeed in making old people feel young again but that's because old people aren't as smart as young people.
Yes that really is an fi ligature lurking in there.
I'm guessing the brief was to get it to complement/echo the marque, jagged and contemporary but having to include/shoehorn in the classical circular rings somehow. Clumsy I'd say, but they got paid for their font which is more than I've ever done.
Anyone know any classic fonts that are patently British with circular O's? Hmmm.
