Cynics Unlimited

This blog was originally named in response to the Toronto Unlimited logo, which was Tourism Toronto’s best effort to attract new visitors to a city recently paralyzed by the SARS wave. The result was not just uninspiring, but the punchline to multiple jokes circulating among graphic designers throughout the GTA. I can’t recall the exact cost of the logo but do remember it being more than a yearly salary for the average designer, who could have created a better logo in about 3 hours.

The logo was an embarrassment, no doubt, but luckily London has outdone us –

In a move billed as the most significant event since London beat Paris in 2005 to win the Games, the organising committee unveiled a striking, jagged emblem to be the official symbol for the Olympics.
It will also be used as the logo for the Paralympics for disabled athletes and will be crucial to hopes of raising private sponsorship for the Games overall.
Based roughly on the figures 2012 and apparently inspired by graffiti artists, the image - which replaces an earlier logo devised for London’s Olympics bid - was hailed as “dynamic” and “vibrant” by organisers. It appears to be aimed particularly at younger people.
-Daily Telegraph

Here is the “dynamic” and “vibrant” logo …

Now consider the price tag: £400,000

How could you not consider your own job a waste of time? “London Artist” now ranks just below “Script Writer for Teletubbies” and “Kabul Travel Agent (on salary)” for my all time favourite dream job.