London 2012 Mascots – WTF?

Seriously, wasn’t it the Brits that were throwing stones our way for our Olympics? Remember that? They were calling them the worst games ever, as the rest of the World and the folks that visited called them the best games ever?

Well, one of the things that many people said Vancouver 2010 did really well, was the marketing. Although our Olympic logo took some flack early on, the Inukshuk was simple, instantly recognizable, and easy to market. There were Inukshuk t shirts, key chains, models, stickers, lunch boxes, and everything of the like. London 2012 released their logo for the upcoming Summer Olympics, a homage to street graphics and design. Cool Idea. Horrible execution. A very lazy looking 12 year old graffiti style 2012 emerged, with no homage in any way to England.

Well, this week, they revealed their Mascots, or as the rest of the world will likely call them, the Robotic Penises. Now, I’m digging the names, they’re called Mandeville and Wenlock, historical references to the Olympics in England. Of course, the names ooze ‘Olde England’ but that’s all good. The issue is what the hell are you to do with these mascots? What child would possibly want to run around with these phallic, bowling pin looking things? You look at Vancouver 2010 mascots, and it’s a merchandisers dream. Quatchi, Sumi, Miga, and Muk Muk were all pretty cute and safe mascots, and quickly became plush toys and everything else you could think of. The mascots paid some homage to the games and the city of Vancouver itself. The only item we can see that pays homage on these two, is the taxi light. Which is great because nowhere in the world does any other city have a taxi. Seriously, where’s your head at London?

Logo, Mascots….Vancouver 2 London 0