She jets in Tahiti, drives a train, climbs on the river police boat or takes a remarkable fall at the Eiffel Tower stadium. Her appearance makes the crowds scream in the stadiums and social networks are overflowing with images of her adventures.
When it was chosen, many saw it as a clitoris rather than a revolutionary’s cap.
Today, she is the favorite figure of derivative products and the organizers of the Olympic Games hope to sell a good million of them. The mascot has become the essential object of major sporting events.
The Amazing Story of the Games Listen Later
Lecture listen 2 min
We remember Footix in 98. In fact, the idea came from us. The first of its kind dates back to the Winter Olympics in Grenoble in 1968. It was called Chousse and it represented a stylized skier. The idea was to symbolize the spirit of the Games and, of course, to do a good marketing operation.
So, do we remember the Mishka bear from the Moscow Olympics in 80? Kobe’s first real commercial success, a Pyrenean dog, Barcelona 92, but overall successes are quite rare. Valdi, the dachshund from the Munich Olympics in 72, didn’t really make an impression. What about Wenlock in London in 2012, Vincius in Rio, who represented several mixed animals, the Beaver from Montreal 76 and more recently Mirai Towa, straight out of a manga for Tokyo 2020.
Quickly celebrated, quickly forgotten, they often end their careers in garage sales.
