The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games is looking for a designer of the official Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots.
The committee asks artists from around the world to design a mascot or mascots that “will achieve world wide fame while also achieving a defining professional accomplishment”.
The mascots will be featured in hundreds of Games’ communications and materials from advertising and publications to Web sites and merchandise and will also act as “real life” ambassadors for the Games, appearing in animated films and at various events around the country during the Games.
VANOC Chief Executive Officer John Furlong said, “the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games mascot(s) will be among the most recognizable and colourful personalities of Canada’s Games and will embody our nation’s culture and values”.
He added “they will become cherished icons – especially for children – and symbols of our Games, our country, and our moment on the world stage. We don’t know who will design the mascot(s), but we’re looking, and we’re looking for the very best!”
According to a Vancouver 2010 media release “all Canadians have the opportunity to engage in the mascot(s) development program, through information and surveys posted to the popular vancouver2010.com Web site”.
Furlong said he wants every Canadian to have an opinion on the mascots once they are produced and said people should start thinking about it and discussing it now.
VANOC is inviting “passionate and talented designers and artists” to respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP) in order to find the best qualified professional and/or company available to develop the mascots, from the initial concept through to the final design. The RFP is open to applicants worldwide specializing in illustration, animation, graphic design, fine arts or other related fields.
Applicants can find the RFP on a specially created section of the Vancouver 2010 Web site: vancouver2010.com/mascot.