Footballers’ Fonts
After Munich, back in the ‘1, I lost my visceral dislike of the German football team. Like Argentina and Holland, they have become Just Another Team. I therefore enjoyed the opening match of the World Cup as a neutral, and sat with a pint to enjoy five goals (I missed the first).
A designer friend of mine, who usually loathes football, supported the Germans. The reason? Well, the names on the shoulders of the German players are rendered in a nice sans-serif bauhaus font. The Costa Ricans, on the other-hand, have chosen a truly horrible Comic Sans Bold.
Let’s just hope the England team shirts have proper kerning. Poor typography could - once again - cost us the tournament.
June 11th, 2006 at 2:36 am
Strange this has come up - whilst watching football recently with the second of my three sons, I happened to comment “the writing on the back of their shirts is pretty” - a resigned look fell across his face and he said in a rather helpless way - “bit of a girlie comment that” - shows that the Yorkie advert rings true “It’s not for girls” but we actually know it is - “Come on England”
June 12th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
I do find the Yorkie advert pretty offensive. It’s all very well to laugh along with it, and show that you have a “sense of humour”, but would it be ok to sell a chocolate bar by saying “It’s not for Muslims”, or “It’s not for black people”?? I think not.
And there doesn’t seem to be a way in this country for complaining about what’s on the wrapper. If you want to complain, it has to be a specific billboard or airing of a commercial, and the complaint will be assessed in that context - there is no means to complain about the slogan in general. Isn’t that a case of asymmetrical warfare? I *think* I’d have a case if I took it to the European Court of Human Rights, but I don’t have the time.
June 26th, 2006 at 11:32 am
“… would it be ok to sell a chocolate bar by saying “It’s not for Muslims”…”
Well, I suppose that would be an OK slogan for selling beer…
Personally, I dislike Bauhaus too (especially since the type has been squished) although nothing, nothing, is as unpleasant as Comic Sans. And yet still people use it… Ugh.
DK