The Marketing of olympic Mascottes
The mascottes of the Olympic Games probably are one of the better manners for the city of host for himself to put itself on the market. Sure, there are official slogans, the songs and the logo that mark every city of host as unique but the strategy of marketings of recent Olympic Games principally rests on the mascottes.
The olympic mascottes did not appear until the 1968 Olympic Games of Winter in Grenoble, France. In these special Olympic Games, a small man of caricature on the skiings known as Schuss appeared on the pins and the small others toys. It became the very first one non official mascotte of the Olympic Games. Since, with the exception of the 1972 Olympic Games of Winter in the Japan of Sapporo, the other cities of host proposed their clean one "the friendly people" the symbol to represent their Games.
The original goal of an olympic mascotte was to give an additional sprout to the cultural identity of the country of host. The natal animals to the sector were of ordinary one choose to symbolize the Games but the faces and the symbols stylistiques also were used for representation.
The first mascotte to hit it "big" was Misha, a small Russian bear of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. The smiling bear also was painted carrying a stripped belt with the colors of the olympic beeps completes with the interlocking circles as the belt buckle. Misha proved itself to be a huge success and had even his clean animated caricature. His darling one and cuddliness called upon the childlike ones and not astonishing that, as it was conceived by the illustrator of book of the Russian children, Victor Chizhikov. Misha appeared in the various merchandise as the dolls some becomes fluffy, them you shirts and the harbors keys. Winnow them were opened since to put on the market of the objects of olympic collections.
Despite the mercantilism of the olympic mascottes, the gasoline to represent the country of host always remains. A lot of thought enters into the conception process. For example, the artist Han Meilin famous Chinese conceived a series of 5 chosen mascottes for the Peking Olympic Games. Their names are Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, Nini. Take the first syllable of their names, it writes "Peking huanying or", or "Peking Welcomes You". , Not only does more every mascotte represents an olympic colored ring, but they represent also elements and the superstitions strongly rooted in the Chinese culture.
Beibei is a blue Chinese esturgeon representative the element of water. She symbolizes also prosperity.
Jingjing is a black Chinese panda representative the element of wood. It is the happiness incarnation.
Huanhuan is represents the fire element. It is the olympic Flame and it has the color passion red and indicating.
Yingying is a lively Tibetan antelope. It is also the example of good health. His element is the earth and it is the yellow one of color.
Nini is a stuffed green one. His element is air and she brings the good fortune.
The more cultural references can be seen in the cover boss of every mascotte that were inspired by the old Chinese objects, dynasties and the suits.
Despite the Fact that the Olympic Games extremely were marketed, attentive iconography combined with the good marketing enters in game always.
Posted on February 23, 2010.