EU: Swan Swamp

Flying swans are UK vision of EU
One would think that with the problems the EU is having as an organization, there would be far more important things to discuss rather than the logo of the Presidency. It seems a bit absurd to think about how much time and money was spent on developing it. I can imagine a bunch of Brits sitting around a table and talking about how swans are a metaphor for life. It's a pretty comical image.

The start of the UK's presidency of the EU means the swans on this logo are going to become pretty familiar over the next six months.

"The idea is a metaphor for leadership, teamwork and efficiency, which is particularly appropriate for the EU, given the system of rotating leadership," says Kate Thomson of the Cabinet Office's European Secretariat. "Migrating birds fly in a V formation. This is highly efficient, because all the birds in the formation, except for the leader, are in the slipstream of another bird. Periodically the leading bird drops back and another bird moves up to take its place."

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Grahame Madge, said it was "very appropriate" because migrating birds, such as the Bewick's swan, united Europe.

At least one guy has some sense about it:

But John Williamson of brand consultants Wolff Olins was scathing about what he said was a sugarcoated image of countries "flying in harmony, shoulder to shoulder".

"This presidency is about re-writing the rules of Europe," he said.

"The difficult decisions that have to be made, the tension, the debate - that's what has to be symbolised somehow.

He's right, you know.