The new logo for the 2012 London Olympics was unveiled today. It has, quite naturally, received a very mixed reaction from love to hate and a lot of ambivalence. The logo is expected to be seen everywhere and given London’s already popularity as a tourist destination expect to see it on every possible piece of merchandise between now and 2013, after which time no one who ever saw it will remember what it looked like.

Lord Coe, the chairman of the Olympic Organising Committee said, ‘It is different, exciting and it really defines us as a city, a country and an organisation. It meets the biggest challenge we have over the next five years, which is reaching out to young people.’ He went on to use the words 'interactive' and 'youth-friendly'.

So perhaps it's not a logo at all. It's a puzzle for kids.

Maybe because I’m now 33 that I can’t see it. I’m too old for Seb’s vision because I cannot see how the logo is interactive or how it defines my homeland.

There was a lot of pretentious nonsense spoken when the logo was revealed. IOC President Jacque Rogge called it 'a truly innovative brand logo that graphically captures the essence of the London 2012'. Tessa Jowell, Britain's Olympic Minister referred to the logo as 'an iconic brand'.

Most of the talk seems to be about how this logo is the single most important aspect of the 2012 Olympics. I couldn’t help but think that the most important part of the Olympics is the competitors.

Maybe I’ve been wrong all these years. I should have known that in this day and age the key aspects to a sporting event are corporate branding, sponsorship and income. Recent arguments about ticket allocation at the FA Cup Final only highlight that philosophy.

Sport is not about competition, participation or the enjoyment of spectators. It is about money.

The four big blocks in the 2012 logo are supposed to represent the four numbers 2 0 1 2. Look again if you can’t see it. No one has yet explained the relevance or meaning of the square block in the middle. To me, the zero looked more like a slightly dodgy map of Australia. The good people of Weymouth, the venue for the Olympic sailing competitions didn't spot the 2012 and had to be told that's what the symbols were.

So, all major brands these days have a logo. It’s not the logo I dislike. It’s the way it has been released on the world today that annoyed me. The mass corporate branding thrown at us and words that try to convince us that without this logo then the 2012 Olympics in London will be meaningless. Former Olympic competitors couldn't remembr the logos from Olympics they competed in.

The mascot is yet to come but for those who want to see more of the logo and Seb Coe's "vision" then visit the London 2012 Website.

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