Are British Designers a Bunch of Jerks?

David Weigel | April 25, 2008

This was supposed to be the new logo for the UK's Office of Government Commerce. It's been mothballed, though, because if you turn it to the side, it looks for all the world like a cartoon man boxing the jesuit.

The logo... was intended to signify a bold commitment to the body’s aim of “improving value for money by driving up standards and capability in procurement”.

Instead, it has generated howls of mirth and what is likely to be a barrage of teasing emails from mandarins in other departments.

According to insiders, the graphic was already proudly etched on mousemats and pens before it was unveiled for employees, who spotted the clanger within seconds.

If this was a one-time bad design, we could laugh it off. Coming after the Olympic logo "what's that guy doing on his knees?" scandal it seems like more of a rampant cultural decline story. Did the UK legalize gay marriage or something? Stanley Kurtz, to your battle station!

Hat tip: Hugh Akston.

Comments

|4.25.08 @ 9:04AM|#

Dude, he's roughing up the suspect! Boxing little Johnny behind the ears! Flogging his dong! Self stimulating to orgasm!

Thanks for the laugh, Dave. Good one.

Episiarch|4.25.08 @ 9:05AM|#

No, they are idiots. Prime example.

Maybe they are incredibly devious super-comedians in a John Cleese-channels-Andy Kaufman vein?

|4.25.08 @ 9:13AM|#

"boxing the jesuit."

I thought I heard them all. Thanks for that.

|4.25.08 @ 9:14AM|#

Did the UK legalize gay marriage or something?

Nope, I lived there and the government really is that clueless. This is a country that has made it illegal to defend yourself inside your home, after all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin_%28farmer%29

|4.25.08 @ 9:15AM|#

Should have said, this is a government that has made it illegal to defend yourself inside your home.

Apologies to the British public, the overwhelming majority of whom I liked and respected.

Episiarch|4.25.08 @ 9:19AM|#

All that remains is for the UK government to inadvertently create a lolcat logo and to get rickrolled, and my diabolical plan shall be complete.

Strike me down, young Gordon Brown. Give in to your hate.

Bingo|4.25.08 @ 9:30AM|#

Personally, I thought the logo to be rather appropriate for an Office of Government Commerce.

|4.25.08 @ 9:32AM|#

I'm not sure which is better, "boxing the jesuit" or the more subtle "bunch of jerks".

erik|4.25.08 @ 9:34AM|#

The 60's widespread panic over "Louie Louie" really showed who in society had sex on the mind.
Always seein somethin sexual everywhere they go...

jeff|4.25.08 @ 9:48AM|#

If they had done this a bit sooner they could have qualified for the Phallic Logo Awards

|4.25.08 @ 9:49AM|#

*giggles*

dhex|4.25.08 @ 9:53AM|#

wait what's the dirty part? i don't see it.

|4.25.08 @ 9:53AM|#

and it is not inappropriate to an organisation that's looking to have a firm grip on Government spend
-- spokesman for OGC (from the article)

AWESOME!
He wins the thread!

|4.25.08 @ 10:05AM|#

My favourite bit from the FA:

"They're going to get more column inches than they could ever have expected before. If I were them, I would be pretty pleased."

|4.25.08 @ 10:13AM|#

wait what's the dirty part? i don't see it.

Reorient yourself or the logo ninety degrees so that the O is at the top and the C is at the bottom.

Taktix®|4.25.08 @ 10:14AM|#

But in Soviet Russia, logos laugh at you!

(Sorry, I'm in a silly mood today. It's Fir's Day!)

NP|4.25.08 @ 10:27AM|#

Maybe it's just me, but this didn't even give me a chuckle. You know, it's usually the prudes who laugh at sex jokes the most, so I must wonder what Dave's sexual proclivities might be.

dhex|4.25.08 @ 10:29AM|#

HA ok ahhh.

ahhhhhh.

i have no idea why it took me that long to see the har har.

|4.25.08 @ 10:31AM|#

If they had done this a bit sooner they could have qualified for the Phallic Logo Awards.

Hilarious! What I want to know are how many are interntionally tounge-in-cheek and how many are the products of clueless moroons.

|4.25.08 @ 10:36AM|#

i have no idea why it took me that long to see the har har.

Did you know there's an arrow hidden in the FedEx logo?

:-D

Mr. Flint|4.25.08 @ 10:37AM|#

Man, Europe is so ripe it'll tip over for the first madman who comes to power.

No Churchills in the wings either.

Rhywun|4.25.08 @ 10:40AM|#

This is good, but not as good as the Olympics logo. Especially the animated one.

lunchstealer|4.25.08 @ 10:42AM|#

Coming after the Olympic logo "what's that guy doing on his knees?" scandal it seems like more of a rampant cultural decline story. Did the UK legalize gay marriage or something? Stanley Kurtz, to your battle station!

First off, "Coming"? Heh heh.

More importantly, this idea that there's any homosexuality in the olympic logo (neglecting for a moment the rampant homoeroticism of the games' origins) is patently ludicrous. It's clearly Lisa Simpson who's performing the felatio, so it is a perfectly heterosexual (if pedophilic) logo.

|4.25.08 @ 10:49AM|#

What a bunch of wankers!

|4.25.08 @ 11:02AM|#

mediageek, are you smiling or is that just an enormous penis head in your pocket?

ed|4.25.08 @ 11:22AM|#

Wow, never would have noticed and it took several hints to finally see it.
That must mean I'm pure of heart. Or clueless.
Dr. Freud?

dhex|4.25.08 @ 11:39AM|#

Did you know there's an arrow hidden in the FedEx logo?

ok now you're just fucking me with, bro.

dhex|4.25.08 @ 11:39AM|#

with me i mean.

:(

what a sad friday this has become.

Chuck|4.25.08 @ 11:39AM|#

According to insiders, the graphic was already proudly etched on mousemats and pens before it was unveiled for employees, who spotted the clanger within seconds.

I first read that as "...etched on mousemats and penis..." and I thought, man, those guys are dedicated.

I wonder how hard it would be (no pun intended) to get one of those pens now?

Episiarch|4.25.08 @ 11:41AM|#

ok now you're just fucking me with

...the FedEx arrow.

See, it was better before you fixed it.

|4.25.08 @ 12:35PM|#

What do you mean, rotate it 90 degrees? Not everyone sits up straight while they milk the lizard.

|4.25.08 @ 2:00PM|#

Do what about Jesuits now?

Andy|4.25.08 @ 3:25PM|#

Sometimes I think the universe is just a random cluster of atoms, our planet mindlessly spinning through infinity with no purpose, nothing having any higher meaning or significance.

Then things like this happen. I love being a human, and a 21st century one especially. How many euphemisms do we have for masturbating?

|4.25.08 @ 4:02PM|#

Hilarious! What I want to know are how many are interntionally tounge-in-cheek and how many are the products of clueless moroons.

I suspect that there may be some very hip graphic designs artists with a sense of humor behind this.

First Little Pig|4.25.08 @ 4:38PM|#

But is it worse that the logo for the Brazilian Institute for Oriental Studies?

http://ciphergoth.livejournal.com/241854.html

|4.25.08 @ 5:29PM|#

I suspect that there may be some very hip graphic designs artists with a sense of humor behind this.

Of course. Let us not forget the great Vlasic Pickle Man debacle or the terrifying Mott's Applesauce label of 80's.

|4.26.08 @ 1:57PM|#

They need to save this logo for the soon-to-be-created "Office of Genitalial Control", where the logo would make more sense.

Paul|4.27.08 @ 3:55AM|#

Note to graphic designers:

Next time you make your stupid "outside the box" logo design, run it by some non-(corporate)graphic arts types first.

Just a suggestion.

DannyK|4.27.08 @ 4:58AM|#

On the bright side, they can re-use the logo for non-lingual signage directing tourists to peepshows.

O
G
C
500m ---->