Erik Spiekermann, (author of Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works) takes to task the designer’s and executives involved in branding this year’s World Cup, criticizing the mascot and logo and in general beautifully stating the problems with design by committee: “It’s like designing a joke, and you can’t design a joke. I think the original design assignment must have been all over the place. With all the things that had to be avoided and then all the things they wanted included, it was impossible to come up with something good.”
Mr. Spiekermann provides some interesting illumination concerning Germany’s internal view of its external image, and how it likely played a huge part in many of the choices.
Instead of harnessing this tremendous opportunity to shine on the world stage, Deutschland stumbled into mediocrity. Thus we are presented with a boring lion and a silly logo.