So the 2014 (yes, that’s right – still two years away) Super Bowl host committee logo was unveiled last week at a news conference in East Rutherford, NJ. It's the logo that we'll be seeing on all advertising and promotional material leading up to the big game. Which is why my gut reaction upon seeing this logo was to either gouge my eyes out or find a nice corner where I could weep softly to myself.

Super Bowl logos, or any NFL team logo for that matter, have never been very aesthetically pleasing but this is an all time low. The official press release claims that the logo is supposed to evoke an “icy feel” (hence the clip-art snowflake), yet the color green is used prominently, delivering a conflicting message. The use of gradients, ribbons, drop shadows and bevels makes the logo look ten years older than it should, and vaguely resembles something I saw in my freshman design 101 class in college.

It’s just sad that a sporting event of this magnitude is given such mediocre branding. However, when I see something this poorly designed it makes me count my blessings and be thankful for our amazing clients who let us push the envelope with original designs, and would never settle for something like this.