English Olympic Mascot Ideas

Mascots have been used to bolster Olympic spirit since 1968. They typically reveal aspects of the host city's history or culture. With the help of children in focus groups, the London 2012 mascots were designed by the London-based creative agency Iris . After much consideration, two figures made of malleable steel named Wenlock and Mandeville were chosen to be the official mascots for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

  1. Other Mascot Ideas

    • Other mascot ideas for the 2012 Olympic games were Trafalgar the pigeon, Bobby Bulldog and a re-envisioned lion/unicorn combination from the United Kingdom's coat of arms. Trafalgar the pigeon featured the five Olympic rings on his left breast. Bobby Bulldog had the logo hanging from a chain. The lion and the unicorn had it in the center of their bodies.

    Mascot Appearance

    • Wenlock and Mandeville are futuristic-looking characters forged from droplets of malleable steel. They have a reflective skin quality, similar to that of a mirror. They each only have one eye -- which can act as a camera -- and are shaped like a gummy bear. Wenlock and Mandeville have taxi lights on top of their heads.

    Name Origins

    • The names Wenlock and Mandeville resonate with Britain's Olympic and Paralympic history. Wenlock was named after the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock, which is believed by historians to be the birthplace of the modern Olympics. The founder of the IOC, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, visited the town in 1890 and took inspiration from the annual games held there. The Stoke Mandeville Hospital was where the Paralympic movement began. Therefore, the name Mandeville was given to the official mascot of the 2012 Paralympic Games.

    Story of Creation

    • Wenlock and Mandeville are said to have been created from the last drops of steel leftover from the construction of the Olympic stadium's last girder. The steel drops were taken home and handcrafted into figurines by a retiring steel worker. Wenlock and Mandeville were then brought to life by a rainbow.

    Public Reception

    • Reviews of the 2012 Olympic mascots have primarily been mixed. Many critics who took issue with the 2012 Olympic logo also thought the mascots fared poorly in their debut. Wenlock and Mandeville were described by some as creepy or bizarre. Others thought they were fresh and exciting, comparing them to characters in a Pixar Animation film.

    Mascot Merchandising

    • The 2012 London mascots will be promoted and sold in an attempt to help pay for the event. Wenlock and Mandeville-inspired T-shirts, towels, action figures, stuffed animals and key chains went on sale in July 2010 to mark the two year countdown to the opening ceremony. The mascots are a vital part of the city's £70 million merchandising budget and are expected to help contribute at least 20 percent of that sum through sales.