I’ve just had a peek at UEFA EURO 2012 brand new logo / visual identity, and I have to say that, unless I am missing something here, the concept is totally far-fetched for a football competition. Of course, I am fully aware that “football is more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle, a cultural phenomenon”, and that host countries try to promote their local cultures during these competitions.

However, mashing the art of paper cutting (traditional art in eastern Europe), flowers and soccer balls is not the brightest idea to capture the spirit of the sport.

Execution-wise, the color palette looks balanced and carefully chosen. The logo is overall round, following one of the most notable visual identity trends in 2009. In fact, this is one of the rare cases where roundness is well justified. The human shapes hidden in the flowers (as well as in the yellow parts of the ball) are a clever addition to the logo. Typography-wise, while the font choice is fair enough, the link between the R and O in Euro seems rather frivolous. Last but not least, the slogan “Creating History Together” is clearly offside, literally.

Verdict: good execution coupled with ditzy conception deliver us an average logo at best.