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NEWS |
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| ELECTORNIC EDITION |
| 2007-11-28 |
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GLOBAL CHINESE PRESS |
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Officials hope mascots score cash
Clare Ogilvie 2007-11-28 16:13 The Province | Olympic organizers hope their new mascots will make cash registers ring to the tune of $500 million in revenues.
"That is a very aggressive number," said Dave Cobb, who is in charge of marketing, revenue and communications for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Games.
"But I think we are on track to do that. We have had very good results so far and if the reaction of the children to the mascots today is any indication, I think we will go home today a little bit more confident that we will hit those numbers."
The stuffies will start at around $30 and other merchandise will carry their images.
In comparison, Beijing 2008 Summer Games officials have five mascots. Experts are predicting they will raise about $493 million US.
Coca-Cola unveiled Beijing mascot cans recently with 1.6 million being sold in 21 cities worldwide.
The Mascots Miga, Quatchi and Sumi were unveiled yesterday in a tightly controlled media event after more than a year of secrecy.
The hundreds of kids bused in for the event seemed to love the creatures. "I would definitely buy them all," said Jessica Bulteal, from Hamilton Elementary School.
Organizers hope to make $46 million in royalties once all the accounting is complete.
The organization is wasting no time in getting the mascots out in public. They will be at a board of trade breakfast tomorrow in Vancouver, while others are already getting ready to make appearances across Canada.
T-shirts, tuques, ball caps, stuffies and pins will be available today at national sponsor Hudson's Bay and its affiliates. Other stores will carry the goods after Christmas.
A Burnaby company won the right to supply the dolls, but they will be made in China as Canada does not have the capacity to make enough said Cobb.
"I think they will fit quite nicely [under a Christmas tree]," he said. |
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