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Beijing unveiled five mascots for the 2008
Olympics on Friday - five cartoon renditions of a panda, fish, Tibetan
antelope, swallow and the Olympic flame. |
After years of fierce lobbying and months of
secrecy, Beijing unveiled five mascots
for the 2008 Olympics on Friday,
opening a marketing blitz that is expected to reap record profits.
In an elaborate, nationally televised gala at a
Beijing sports arena to mark the 1,000-day countdown until the Games,
senior Chinese leaders introduced the mascots - cartoon renditions
of a panda, fish, Tibetan
antelope, swallow and the Olympic flame, each one the color of one of the
Olympic rings.
"The five friendlies are an incredible little family carefully chosen
by Beijing 2008 to represent all of China to carry a message of friendship
to the children of the world," International Olympic Committee president
Jacques Rogge said in a statement that was read at the ceremony.
"China is so lucky to have so many beautiful animals to represent the
Olympic spirit," Rogge said.
The animals were introduced as Bei Bei, Jing Jing, Huan Huan, Ying Ying
and Ni Ni - which, put together, translates to "Beijing welcomes you!"
It is the most number of mascots any Olympic Games has had in more than
30 years. The Salt Lake City and Sydney Games both had three.
A plethora of real and mythic creatures were among
the candidates considered by Chinese leaders, Olympic officials and
design specialists over the past year. Among those that didn't make the cut were
the dragon and a magical monkey out of Chinese folklore.
The choice, the subject of lively media speculation for months, has
been a secret since it was finalized three months ago.
At stake for China is one of the most marketable symbols in the
Olympics - a symbol that stands to generate significant revenues and
public support for the Beijing Games, which will cost an estimated $38
billion.
Sales of licensed products, including those with
the mascot, brought in about $300 million at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Host cities keep 10 to 15 percent of the royalties, helping to
defray
the costs of staging the
Games.
Officials with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games
say they expect sales of such products to be higher still.
On Saturday, postage stamps and more than 300 other licensed products
of the mascot go on sale at 188 authorized venues across the country,
widening a product line of T-shirts, caps, pens and bags bearing the 2008
Games logo, according to Olympic officials.
Beyond the sales expectations, China
has tried to use the mascot-selection process to involve communities far from Beijing.
On hand for the unveiling at the Workers Gymnasium in eastern Beijing were
100 children "ambassadors" from western provinces.
(Agencies) |