New London 2012 Olympic Mascot Animation

Mandeville and Wenlock In Their Anodised Chrome Steel Look

British Union Jack Flag Version of Mandeville and Wenlock

Design Sheet Detailing The Thinking Behind The Characters

Mandeville and Wenlock, the names of the 2 new Official London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Mascots are named after the Stoke Mandeville hospital in Buckinghamshire, the birthplace of the Paralympic Games and after the village of Much Wenlock in Shropshire, the inspiration behind the modern Olympic Games.

Iris Agency in London were asked to come up with a new and exiting, modern mascot for the digital age. The characters they have created are aimed at children and are reminiscent of classic video game characters.

Warhorse and children’s author Michael Morpurgo was drafted in to create a series of stories for the animated characters. His vision sees them starting life as two drops of steel, which fall from the final girder of the Olympic stadium, forged in a factory in Bolton. The steel is then taken home by a retiring worker who makes the characters for his grandchildren. A rainbow brings them to life and they start to learn various moves and gestures by mimicking Olympic events.

At first I thought woah, what the? but they are kinda growing on me, although I almost expect them to get up and sing ‘I Will Survive’

A coincidence I am sure, but the colours are representative of the new coalition government between the Conservatives and the Lib-Dem’s!
Already, there are many spoof photoshopped images appearing on the web. Thankfully the characters are better than the dreadful Official London 2012 logo designed by the Wolff Olins Agengy

Discover the new Mascots on the official London 2012 Website

Follow Mandeville on Facebook and Twitter
Follow Wenlock on Facebook and Twitter

What do you think of the new character designs?