mascots
By artboomer on November 29, 2007 - 12:04pm
Well VANOC the verdict is in. Canadians are a much prouder race than you give credit. After your extensive market research geared to a younger market consumer YOU FORGOT it is the CANADIAN moms, dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles who will be buying on behalf of your niche chosen pre-teen market.
Made in China for any merchandising is going to raise havoc with proud adult Canadians everywhere. And for many good ethical reasons including the loss of Canadian manufacturing jobs! How much research VANOC did you really do in seeing if Canadians were willing to pay a little more for Olympic merchandise that displayed a "made in Canada" label...not!
Your continued shortsightedness in the operations of our upcoming 2010 Olympic Games is turning into a national embarrassment! With your apparent allegiance to China no doubt we can expect ALL official Olympic merchandise and apparel to be "made in China".
Again you have a wonderful Canadian model to work from - the 1988 Olympic Calgary Committee - OCO'88. They at least supported Canadian manufacturing which launched the successful "local" apparel company "Sun Ice".
Perhaps VANOC you should really be marketing the Beijing Olympic Games!
You just don't seem to get it...back to the drawing board.
If you want to see my editorial cartoon on this issue - click on the above "artboomer" link and on my homepage click on Blog drawings.
By artboomer on November 28, 2007 - 4:01pm
VANOC you never cease to amaze me...re: new mascot designs.
Yes they sure look cute but their rendered style unfortunately seems confusing to some Canadians. Today the local morning news stations interviewed a number of people on the streets of Vancouver and discovered that the majority thought they looked too Japanese (Manga Art), some were expecting the spirit bear, killer whale - that looked like a killer whale. Others flatly said they do not look Canadian enough rather Asian...Yikes.
If you want to see my editorial cartoon on this theme and more: click on
the above "artboomer" link then on homepage click on Blog dwgs icon.
By artboomer on November 28, 2007 - 12:01pm
VANOC you are once again forcing my drawing hand into overdrive! Yes we do have a large Asian population in Vancouver - a great community. But why oh why are you so bent and determined into making these games so controversial? Todays morning tv news programs looking for Vancouverite reaction to these new mascots beyond being "cute" is once again "controversial". The MAJORITY interviewed were finding them to be not in a "typical representational Canadian art style" but rather in a Japanese (manga art) style. This is the voice of Vancouver sounding off not just me.
Oh how I miss being part of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary (CTV/CFCN production designer). It offered up a great Olympic logo creatively implementing the Olympic rings into a savvy CANADIAN maple leaf snow flake with cuddly non-controversial mascots - Heidi and Howdy.
VANOC you have a great Canadian Olympic model to work from - OCO 88. Just what the hell is your problem!...I am really getting tried in your lack of CANADIAN vision!...back to the drawing board.
By artboomer on November 27, 2007 - 9:29am
This morning VANOC unveils its two mascots. WHY. We already have an Olympic Winter Games logo that can easily be dubbed/work as a couple mascots. Like Chuck (Inukchuk), Gumby just to name two. And VANOC thanks for choosing a logo that did not follow your own design logo guidelines. "Sea to Sky, winter games, motion, capturing the essence in bringing together olympians into a global arena". Now it is time for us designers who entered your rigged design logo contest to strike back! Thank you so much for selecting a religious/spiritual symbol that has absolutely no connections to any sporting event winter or otherwise! But what I do like about it (a definite shortsightedness on your part VANOC) is it has an "open mouth begging for satirical comment" On behalf of all artists who entered your logo design contest thank you for opening "Gumby's" - I mean "Chuck's" mouth!
We will feast off your tunnel vision and lack of creative Olympian design...Back to the drawing board.
