The UK wants for its youth to be more involved in the upcoming 2012 Olympics and has thus set up a programme to educate youth about the games. This programme, called ‘Get Set’, is designed to increase ambition and excitement about this major London event. Educators can enrol their students in the programme and receive a variety of free materials designed to interest and inspire young students.

How better to involve youth in an event than to ask their help in creating it? In this case, the programme education logo design is the element that youth will be designing. This logo, which will be an inset in the standard London 2012 Olympics logo, is hoped to rally youth and increase awareness of the event while motivating students to do their best in all endeavours.

Budding logo designers between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one will be eligible to submit a proposed logo design. The only other requirement is that the designer be involved in a full time or part time education programme. The winning logo will be available to everyone who joins the programmes and likely get a lot of public attention. This is a prime opportunity for an aspiring young designer looking for that first big opportunity to prove his or herself as a true professional.

There are several positive aspects of this unconventional manner of developing a logo. First, no one understands youth better than themselves. These young people will likely understand what images, colours, and designs attract and inspire others their own age. They know their genre in a way that the average government employee doesn’t.

Second, the London 2012 logo is ultra modern and designed to appeal to youth. This market particularly enjoys interactive experiences and being asked for input. Simply calling for submissions is a good marketing move, regardless of the results. It shows that the people running the Olympic Games care about this crucial market and have respect for their talents. The youth of the UK will likely take this assignment seriously and submit a range of thoughtfully designed logos.

It’s hard to see a disadvantage here. The London 2012 has been widely disparaged in the media, so the government has nothing to lose in appealing to their key market for this particularly youth-oriented programme. If anything, this logo design will at least cost less than its predecessor, which despite its price has failed to inspire the nation.

Logo design contests are rarely a good idea for small businesses, because the results invariably are amateur. The end result may be visually attractive, but it rarely speaks the subtle language of logo design. However, a government organisation is already established and already giving a strong message—in this case, of dedication to the young people of London and the UK. The appeal to youth alone may be able to turn this situation into a huge advantage. Another key difference is that this logo design will only be used for two years, while the average logo must withstand the lifespan of a business.