11 of the worst logos you can't unsee
A logo should represent a company, event or institution in the best possible light. But it's not that simple. Tastes vary, of course, yet there is a certain aesthetic standard. The ones collected here are mainly logos that bring a smile to your face — and when you look at the company behind them, they probably shouldn't.
London Olympics 2012
A logo that went down in history
The logo created for the London Olympic Games gained plenty of critics. People searched for various sources of inspiration, wondering where the designer could have got such an idea. The unconventional shape combined with a not particularly aesthetic font makes up the Olympics logo, and it isn't representative. Apparently, those with more imagination see a girl playing on a computer.
Gap
Controversial redesigns
This is Gap's new logo — or rather, it was, until after a week of harsh criticism the design was dropped and the previous one restored. It was too much of a shock for audiences. It may be hard for the company to change their previous/current logo; after all, its fame has grown to cult status.
Institute of Oriental Studies
The Institute of Oriental Studies at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, to give its full name, created or commissioned exactly this graphic as its logo. It may just be cultural differences, but it doesn't look very inviting.
General Electric
As you can see, General Electric has struggled for years to present its initials in a more legible way. On the other hand, it's a well-known brand, and the logo is associated with it, so it fulfils its most important functions. What's more, the individual elements of the logo refer to the company's history.
A-style
The Italian clothing brand chose an ambiguous logo for a reason — it was counting on free publicity. Stickers with this logo became very popular and were stuck everywhere by fans.
Kidsexchange
Mistakes and ambiguities
To dispel any doubt, the name of this shop should be "Kids Exchange". After all, how do you make a neon space — a space is empty space, isn't it? Apparently nobody told the installers that the space was up to them.
State of Vermont Pure Maple Syrup
Sometimes it's worth taking a look at what you're printing before you print it. Here, an unfortunate combination of several elements may bring to mind associations that are not desirable alongside maple syrup.
AOL
When someone tries too hard to be cool, this is how it ends... AOL decided to refresh its logo — it's hard to call it anything other than a scribble, but maybe there was some message behind it all?
Clinica Dental
Many people are afraid of a visit to the dentist. The logo of this clinic presents the procedure being performed on a patient in an ambiguous way.
Verizon
What do the experts say?
The earlier logo was definitely wilder than the current one. Although the current one met with a wave of negative comments, it ultimately defended itself. It is characterised by a certain simplicity and aesthetics. It says little about the company, but it has some basic source of communication.
Animal Planet
It's no longer a bad logo, although the new one brings more of a smile to your face than a passion for wild nature. Nice, simple and aesthetic, it unfortunately slips into childishness. The old logo showed the wildness of animals and the complexity of the animal world. May the elephant with its raised trunk bring good luck here.
Summary
The article brings together 11 logos that spark controversy or laughter — from the London Olympic Games logo, through the Gap redesign withdrawn after a week of criticism, to ambiguous designs such as Kidsexchange or Clinica Dental. Some of them, like General Electric or Verizon, fulfil their function despite criticism thanks to the strength of the brand.
It's worth noting that some designs deliberately play on ambiguity for free publicity — like the Italian A-style, whose logo stickers became popular beyond the shops. Others show how important social perception and cultural context are in designing corporate marks.
