London unveiled the mascots of Olympics 2010 to the media at the St. Paul’s Whitechapel primary school in east London on May 19, 2010; they are Wenlock and Mandeville, some kind of mini futuristic cyclops creatures.Some people were commented that these two single-eye “monsters” Wenlock and Mandeville can’t represent London and they are kind of frightening; they suggest the mascots must be something more London-related, like the British bulldog, or a spin on Big Ben.So what exactly do Wenlock and Mandeville have to do with London?
Named Wenlock and Mandeville after small English towns, these one-eyed creations are based on a story by children’s author Michael Morpurgo in which they’re formed by a welder from the last drops of steel used to build the girders for the Olympic stadium in east London.
And if you’re wondering about the significance of the orange light atop their heads, that’s supposed to represent a London taxi light. The over-sized eye represents a camera lens that will capture their experiences on the way to 2012.“We’ve talked to lots of children and they don’t want cuddly toys,” said London 2012 organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe. “They want something they can interact with and something with a good story behind it.”
And the Olympic committee is banking kids loving these odd-looking steel creatures, since the mascots will be an important revenue-generating tool. London Olympics chief executive Paul Deighton said the sale of mascots should raise 10-20 percent of London’s merchandising budget of $106 million.
BTW, I like them, they look good actually!
London Olympics 2012 Mascots Single Eye Monsters Wenlock and Mandeville
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