[Bryson]

Oh my.


Here they are:

The 2010 Winter Olympics will have not one, not two, but three official mascots…and a marmot friend named Muk-Muk. Each of the critters has a west coast feel. Miga the sea bear is a combination of an orca whale and the Kermode spirit bear. Quatchi's a sasquatch and Sumi is a mythical thunderbird spirit who loves to snowboard. Their side-kick is a marmot named Muk-Muk.

"Miga the sea bear is a combination of an orca whale and the Kermode spirit bear." What? Say that again? Was there ever a mascot more designed by committee?

"Quatchi's a sasquatch" Ok. That works. You can keep that one.

"Sumi is a mythical thunderbird spirit who loves to snowboard" Riiiight. Why? And why does he look like a teddy bear? Don't birds have beaks? Oh, not "mystical" ones. Riiight.

And they have a "sidekick"? Was he not good enough to be a real mascot? Could the committee not decide between three and four? Why is he not pictured? Is the character design really that bad? (Worse than Miga, really?) Oh I see. You never get to see Muk-Muk. Care to explain, then, what the fucking point is? No?


Man, the Sasquatch is ok, but the rest is pure "design by committee". And I'll have to look at this crap for the next two years. Great.

[psmith2.0]

Has the Olympic logo/mascot designing end of things gone all completely to hell?

[Windswept]

Design-by-committee reminds me of the 'tree swing' design ordeal.

Don't read the text. Just look at the pictures.

http://www.businessballs.com/treeswing.htm

My favorite is "how maintenance installed it". haha

[Fahrenheit]

A camel is a horse designed by committee.

Stephen Merchant: "I can tell from Karl’s look that he’s thinking, ‘Which committee designed the camel?"

[Trumpetman]

All I know is that if they come in Pokeballs I'm going to have to buy them.

Here's to praying they don't.

Nick

[709]

At first glance I thought to myself, "HA! Those wacky Chinese are adding more mascots? Don't they already have like 5 or something?" Then I read the thread title, and was like "2010...WTF?" Then it sunk it a bit more. Holy hell. The Chinese I can forgive because the mascots kind of* work together, but this, well, this is wrong.



*kind of....in all honesty looking at the Chinese mascots makes me feel like some sort of creepy pedophile.

[InactionMan]

I've seen worse. They'll sell a shitload of these dolls. But where the hell is Muk-Muk?

I kind of expected the crass appropriation of First Nations history would be more tacky for the mascots. Though I'm sure Vancouver will get worse as the games get closer.

[Fahrenheit]

The one on the left is kinda cute!

[Taskiss]

Who will buy the Olympic merchandise and who will they buy it for? What is the best design for the target audience?

I'm thinking kids will love plush Miga's, Quatchi's, and Sumi's.

I'm not so sure about Muk-Muk though. Marmots are known terrorists.

[Luca]

Well, if you take the first syllable of each Beijing mascot's name (every name is just a repeated syllable, like "Beibei" or "Jingjing"), they spell out "Beijing huan ying ni," which means "Beijing welcomes you." So that makes sense.

Not to mention adds the three words that the marketing guys splooge themselves over: "Collect them all." Along with three more: "Each sold separately."

[Windswept]

I think the sea otter would have been a great mascot for Vancouver.

Mother carrying baby on her belly.



Baby sea otters.



Little cuties.

Sea otters are so cool. They'll carry a rock on their chest, and break open shellfish by smacking them on the rock, for a tasty snack.

There was a clip recently showing two sea otters holding hands as they floated on their backs. It was pretty sweet, really.

'Combining' animals the way the mascot committee has done shows an unfortunate indecisive streak. By seeking to please everyone, cater to native peoples, and offend no one, they've made a mess of it all and have, in the end, pleased virtually 'no one'. Tsk.

[DMBand0026]

Will their heads flap like Canadians on South Park? If not, I want no part in this whole "mascot" business. I was sorely disappointed recently when I met a Canadian and his head didn't flap. I accused him of not being 100% Canadian, he looked at me and asked me how much crack I had smoked that day.

[Moogs]

Clearly Vancouver's asian social / political influence is at work with these three mascots. It's not even subtle. Pretty sad if you ask me. Personally I'd have gone with the Yeti and left it at that. It's ok to have a mixed approach with your mascots to show multiple parts of the culture but common. This looks like a friggin Chinese toy store display or something. PC gone to hell.

But I'll say this: it's still much better than the dumb-ass mascot someone made for the Atlanta games in 96. F T Whatizit?!¡1one

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by Windswept 'Combining' animals the way the mascot committee has done shows an unfortunate indecisive streak. By seeking to please everyone, cater to native peoples, and offend no one, they've made a mess of it all and have, in the end, pleased virtually 'no one'. Tsk.

Thank you for saying this...saves me from having to.



We see this stuff so much...trying to please everyone (and offend no one) usually winds up in an uninspired mess. Corporations and organizations go so far with this thinking these days...it's a hoot. Nothing is ever simple and straightforward; the simplest task becomes this huge, revision-laden chore because you're trying to be everything to everyone, and "meet" about 72 requirements/goals that nobody in the real world gives two rips about.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Thank you for saying this...saves me from having to.

You're quite welcome, Paul.

Ahhh, great minds, and all that.

[psmith2.0]

It's just funny to me, because everyone who has been alive on the planet for more than 30 minutes realizes - in matters of relationships, family, work, etc. - it is impossible to please everyone, all the time. You just can't. I don't know why some companies seem to hard-push it so much.

I mean, I do understand why they try: to keep the Sharptons and Allreds of the world off their butts.

But I don't think it's a winnable game.

No, I'm not saying you go out of your way - just as in real life, with your personal relationships - to hurt others or cause offense. But when you see some of the ham-handed ways some companies try to pat themselves on the back about their inclusive, all-accepting/celebrating "vision", it's just hokey at times. A few do it well and back it up with their deeds and stances. But a lot of them, it's just trendy bandwagon-jumping...the latest "thing to do", for some. And you can tell if you're the least bit aware or up on such things. You can always spot the focus-grouped, "someone in HR read an 'empowering' book over the weekend" type of deals.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Bryson

Anyone else thinking "Olympics 2.0" upon seeing these guys?

Pastel color palette? Check. Soft gradients? Check. Rounded, sans-serif, equal-height typeface? Check. Cute overload? Check.

Maybe we need another "extreme" logotype mockup...

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Windswept Design-by-committee reminds me of the 'tree swing' design ordeal. Don't read the text. Just look at the pictures. http://www.businessballs.com/treeswing.htm My favorite is "how maintenance installed it". haha

I prefer this version.

[psmith2.0]

Haha...that's great. The roller coaster...

[Moogs]

That is genius.

And good call on the Web 2.0 fuzzy-bots assessment, Brad.

[Windswept]

I like the frame with the tree cut in half and propped up with added supports - in both versions.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by Bryson Oh my. Here they are:

Well, I think they're cute.

Originally Posted by Bryson "Miga the sea bear is a combination of an orca whale and the Kermode spirit bear." What? Say that again? Was there ever a mascot more designed by committee?

Yes. See: Izzy the Whatzit.

Mascots are all marketing, anyway. They're all to sell plushes to youngsters. And I think these mascots will make great plushes, which is pretty much all that matters.

Is their design a bit confusing? Perhaps. I don't get why they combined the orca whale and the Kermode spirit bear, or why the thunderbird spirit doesn't have a beak, or why their sidekick friend isn't cool enough to be a real mascot. But will any of that really matter to their target market? I mean, really?

Besides. Combining two mascots into one? Not counting their friend as a mascot? Well, that's just two less plushes everyone will have to buy.

I still think the ice cube and the snowball from Turin 2006 were the coolest mascots in recent memory (even if they were trying a little bit too hard to be...x-treme!) but these are pretty close, IMO. I mean, they are really cute.

And if my ringing endorsement doesn't cheer you up, you can tell yourself that at least you don't have the London 2012 logo.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Moogs And good call on the Web 2.0 fuzzy-bots assessment, Brad.

Too bad we'll be at Web 4.7 by the time they're out in full force for 2010. Maybe by then we'll look back at all this with a glint of nostalgia for the good ol' Web 2.0 days.

Nah.

[Mugge]

When I first saw them I actually thought they where the Chinese mascots. Ugly little cuties like expected, except they weren't Chinese. I have a hard time believing these critters come from the same country as murbot.

Originally Posted by Brad Anyone else thinking "Olympics 2.0" upon seeing these guys? Pastel color palette? Check. Soft gradients? Check. Rounded, sans-serif, equal-height typeface? Check. Cute overload? Check. Maybe we need another "extreme" logotype mockup...

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Moogs]

Originally Posted by Mugge When I first saw them I actually thought they where the Chinese mascots. Ugly little cuties like expected, except they weren't Chinese. I have a hard time believing these critters come from the same country as murbot.

Nice smiley.

Yah that pretty much sums things up I think. Someone in Vancouver needs a round-house kick to the head.

[BuonRotto]

The Sasquatch is cute. The thunderbird is overdone, and I don't know what the other thing is at all.

[Satchmo]

Looks more like Hello Kitty to me.

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, it's that type of look. Those round, black eyes and all and the rounded hands/paws, etc. Excessive cuteness in the first degree, with intent to "awwww"...

Hey, we should all have ourselves made into that style for our community page. Screw the photos!

[Robo]

I still can't believe people are complaining that the Olympic Mascots are too cute. I mean, isn't that the point?

It's not like they're the mascots for a sports team, where they're supposed to be fierce and fearsome. No, they're mascots for the Olympics, and they're supposed to sell plushes-er, "get kids involved in the spirit of the Games." By selling plushes.

And I want a Sumi plush already. So sumi. *bah dum tish*

[Mugge]

Originally Posted by Satchmo Looks more like Hello Kitty to me.

*censored*



Is this thread trying to 1 up 2 girls 1 cup?

EDIT:
<- See it's a joke!