2012 Mascots

Posted by MProse in Features, The Blog

The London Olympics are coming up this year and I’m beyond excited! As a competitive swimmer, I’m definitely going to be glued to the computer when the swimming events are on, but I also love the gymnastics, running, diving-ah, I’d love to watch everything!

I was really looking forward to the unveiling of the London mascots about two years ago, but I ended up having…mixed feelings about the two Teletubbie-ish aliens that were revealed. I know I’m too old to be called a kid, but even I’m not fond of two cyclopse-mascots, named Wenlock and Mandeville:

Am I the only one who think these London creatures are genetically linked to the colourful, TV-sporting characters of our youth?

Anyway I thought maybe I could come up with two new mascots that I’m hoping are as cute as a Burberry button. Here’s what I came up with:

Right? Sorted.

About the “It’s more fun in the Philippines!” campaign, after it hit the top of the trending charts on both Twitter AND Twitpic, it’s pretty hard to ignore. The ad men seemed to have missed the mark for the second time in a row, costing them a couple of millions in the process, much to the fury of the masses.

The silver lining here is that people with a wonderful sense of humour produced some guffaw-worthy satirical pics.

Ha-ha we all had a laugh, but seriously I’d like to jump in and perhaps nudge the admen in the right direction with these ideas:

The heart symbol is a popularly used logo in countries such as Denmark and Taiwan, and it is also used in the “I Heart NY” campaign which contains both the logo and the slogan in one. Combining both concepts produced this heart-shaped logo, incorporating all the information you need to know into one compact design doubling as a speech bubble which can contain any sayings or quotes. The colours and texture used here exhibit the country’s natural landscape, although the design is just as effective in black and white.

7107 East of Eden

The word ‘Philippines’ resembles specks of earth in the horizon, nestled at the junction of sea and sky. In the tranquility of the Pacific, 7107 islands begin to take shape, each brimming with as much diversity as the culture and its people. Your heart flutters in anticipation as you near it, and

you experience the very same throbbing feeling as when you depart, your heart pining for  your return.

7107 Feel It Philippines/7107 Feelin’ Philippines packages the emotions and sensations associated to visiting the country for the first time. It takes more than just seeing it, you have to be there to feel it.

When you first step off the plane and take in your surroundings,

you wonder where else you’d feel more alive. You have 7107 places before you, only in the Feel-ippines.

Similar to the heart shaped logos, the following designs resemble the passport seal upon arrival and envelope stamps fresh from the mailbox. They showcases the symbols of Philippine culture through the use of the same colours and sun found on their flag.

Cradle of Cool features a slogan referring to a lyric from their national anthem, ‘cradle of noble heroes’. Be immersed in 7107 different ways to chillax. In the Philippines you’ll find cool people, cool climate and ‘cool-ture’ where their positive outlook in the sight of hardship makes you feel like there’s not a care in the world. In the Discover Haven logo, Everyone yearns for a place to escape to. Find your own sanctuary among the 7107 oases the Philippines has to offer.

The slogan, Any Which Way You Choose is

based from a quote by Dr Seuss: ”You have a brain in your head and feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Let the logo be  your guide to the 4 major regions of the Philippines. There’s Luzon in the North and Visayas in the East. In the South you have Mindanao and the West, Spratley’s Island

Just walk straight ahead and follow your shoes, you’re bound to find treasures even in the tiniest packages. Each animal featured

on the logo is the smallest of its kind in the whole world: the Tarsier, the Bamboo Bat, the Dwarf Goby and the Mouse Deer. Don’t worry if you need directions, the Philippines offers 7107 different paths to choose. Get lost in it.

So tell me what you think about them in the comments below. Don’t be shy to tell me if you love them, hate them, whatnot. I’d love to hear your feedback.

<everything here is pulled from the toybox inside my head except for the images of Wenlock & Mandeville and Teletubbies>