Rio 2016 Olympic mascots unveiled

The cat-like thing's out of the bag: Rio 2016 Olympic mascots unveiled

Games organisers show off the unnamed fluffy pair who carry their merchandising hopes


The unnamed mascots of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

One bright yellow and cat-like, with a green leaf-haired brother, the mascots for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro were launched by organisers late on Sunday.

The mascots, who are said to represent the animals and plants of Brazil, are a key part of the Olympics merchandising campaign which is set to feature 12,000 products and is an important revenue source and a vital way of engaging the public.

Organisers hope to raise 1bn reais (£254m) in retail sales from Rio 2016 branded merchandise.

The backstory of the characters states they were born out of the joy of the Brazilian people at having been awarded the games.

A public poll will be held to decide their names from a shortlist of Oba and Eba; Tiba Tuque and Esquindim; and Vinicius and Tom.

Organisers are hoping the mascots help engage younger audiences in the Olympics, with a television series starring the mascots planned to run on Brazilian television one year before the games.

“We are close to signing a partnership to produce a TV show,” Sylmara Multini, head of licensing for Rio 2016, said, adding they would also be developing apps and games with the mascots.

“The crucial thing is to turn the mascots into characters.”