![]() ![]() «It always comes down to what you do with the mascots. «Athens did the best job of merchandising the mascots,» Copeland says. The brother-and-sister pairing also did their effort to lighten the load of the most expensive Games in history since host cities keep 10 to 15 percent of the royalties from the sale of mascots and the relevant licensed products. Greek schoolchildren still stuff their lunches into Athena and Phevos backpacks. Having the weight of Ancient Greece lifted from their shoulders, Athena and Phevos went on to have a rather impressive Olympics, taking $201 million in sales and becoming household names from Athens to Alexandroupolis. But breaking with the past can be quite beneficial for mascots. In fact, when Athena and Phevos were first unveiled critics complained they had more in common with Homer Simpson than Homer. These yellow figures with short arms and chunky triangular feet which looked like pieces of Swiss chocolate perplexed many. Visitors to Athens were greeted by a pair of mascots: Athena and her brother Phevos. «Mascots become ambassadors of the Games and they link Olympic ideals with the values of the host city,» Copeland adds. He has been working as an adviser to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the «Look of the Games» since the 1996 Olympics. «Mascots capture the spirit of the host city and convey the message of what it’s trying to show the world,» Brad Copeland, president of Iconologic design company in Atlanta, told Kathimerini English Edition. Measuring success A successful mascot has to have broad shoulders, figuratively speaking, because apart from being a merchandising money-spinner, it is a universally recognizable symbol of the host city’s identity. Apparently when you put all that together, it spells «Beijing welcomes you.» Almost everything imaginable has already been done in the world of mascots but spelling words is certainly a first, and the Chinese deserve a collective gold medal for their originality. ![]() They are based on animals and go by the names of Bei Bei, Jing Jing, Huan Huan, Ying Ying and Ni Ni. This being the new, improved «we can do anything you can do but better» China, the Communist Party Politburo members unveiled not one mascot but five – a new Olympic record before the Games have even begun. So, with the fanfare one would expect and exactly 1,000 days before the 2008 Games are due to begin in China, Beijing’s mascots were revealed last Friday. Naturally, Beijing is joining in the fun. Last year’s Olympics in Athens may have been a return to the birthplace of the ancient Games but the modern phenomenon of the official Olympic mascot, which began in 1972, is inescapable. ![]() Athletes? Opening ceremonies? New stadiums? Sponsors? No. They attract attention, generate revenue, add color and make it fun for children. ![]()
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