Studio International

Published 04/10/2007

Whatever happened to the £400,000 Olympic Games logo flashed around by the London 2012 Organising Committee in June? It went down like a lead balloon, as they say in Australia. Ken Livingstone had a total aversion to it, although Sebastian Coe seemed to think it could last out for five years and beyond. But it already looks smashed. As author Tom Lutz said, ‘It represents the multicoloured vomit sprayed across the capital's pavements at 3 am on your average Sunday morning’.1 Another commentator enquired whether Tessa Jowell, still the minister responsible overall, would model it (well, er, not if it looks like vomit). But could it be that this lead balloon finally stayed down quietly, pending review? Or else it has quietly become lighter than air, and taken off for pastures new (the NHS? UK devolution?) It would be suitable for animal health (like a dried cowpat kept for analysis). For that matter, despite their best intentions, many consultants need analysis frequently too.

1. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/design/story/0,,2100290,00.html (last accessed 3 October 2007)