Vinicius and Tom

Vinicius and Tom were the official mascots for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Vinicius represented the Olympic Games, while Tom stood for the Paralympic Games. Both mascots were designed by an animation company in São Paulo and chosen through a special selection process.

Their designs showed elements of Brazil’s nature—Vinicius looked like a mix of cats, monkeys, and birds, and Tom showed parts of Brazil’s plants. The public helped name them after two famous Brazilian musicians, Vinicius de Moraes and Antônio Carlos “Tom” Jobim, known for writing the popular song “The Girl from Ipanema.”

People could buy many things with Vinicius and Tom on them, and they even made special short cartoons to show these characters. During the Olympic wrestling events, coaches could throw a Vinicius plush doll into the ring if they wanted to challenge a referee’s decision, which many people found funny. Paralympic medal winners each got a Tom plush doll, with the leaves on Tom’s head matching the color of their medals. Many people liked how Vinicius and Tom looked and represented Brazil.

History

A referee in men's Greco-Roman 85 kg wrestling picks up a plush doll of Vinicius, thrown by coaches into the ring at Rio 2016 to challenge referee calls.

Tenders were requested in November 2012 to create the mascots for the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The process included design, illustration, animation, and advertising firms from Brazil to ensure a design that reflected local culture. The mascots needed to represent universal values like friendship and respect, and speak to children and adults alike.

In August 2013, judges selected the final mascots, created by the São Paulo-based animation company Birdo. The mascots were revealed to the public on 23 November 2014, with their names chosen by an online vote. The winning names, "Vinicius and Tom," honored two famous Brazilian musicians. During the Olympic wrestling events, coaches used soft plush dolls of Vinicius to challenge referee calls, which many found amusing.

Characteristics

Vinicius, named after the Brazilian lyricist Vinicius de Moraes, is the Olympic mascot. Vinicius looks like a mix of Brazilian animals, with the quickness of cats, the movement of monkeys, and the beauty of birds. He can stretch his arms and legs very far. Vinicius wants to bring happiness to everyone and show friendship between people from all over the world at the Olympic Games.

Tom, named after the Brazilian musician Tom Jobim, is the Paralympic mascot. Tom’s design is inspired by the plants in Brazilian forests, and you can pull different objects out of the leaves on his head. Tom wants to inspire everyone to be creative, determined, and to have fun while trying new things.

According to their stories, Vinicius and Tom were created from the joy of Brazilians after the International Olympic Committee selected Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The mascots were designed to show the rich culture and people of Brazil. Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim, the people the mascots are named after, wrote the famous 1962 bossa nova song "The Girl from Ipanema".

Media

Animated shorts

A series of animated adventure shorts called Vinicius e Tom – Divertidos por Natureza ("Vinicius and Tom – Fun by Nature") began showing on Cartoon Network Brazil on August 5, 2015. You can also watch these shorts on the official website and on YouTube from the Rio 2016 YouTube channel. The series has 32 episodes, each two minutes long. It is the third cartoon series based on Olympic mascots and the first made in the Americas. In the show, Vinicius and Tom live in Brazilian forests and cities. They are sometimes joined by the "Carioca Sisters": Bela, Sol, and Vida.

The series was made to help people remember the mascots. Turner Broadcasting System, the company that owns Cartoon Network, helped make the series and put money into it. A director said that the mascots help connect people with the Games, and the cartoon brings them to life.

Paralympic medalists in women's 57 kg judo hold plush dolls of Tom, with the leaves on Tom's head colored to correspond with their medals.

Merchandise

Vinicius and Tom were featured on many products for the Rio 2016 Games, from Lego kits to large dolls. During the Paralympic events, winners got stuffed toys of Tom with colored leaves on their heads to match their medals. The Lego kit with Vinicius and Tom was the first time Lego made a commercial version of the Games' official mascots. A store employee said that the mascots, especially Vinicius, were very popular with both kids and adults.

The Rio 2016 Organizing Committee thought the mascots would make up 25 percent of merchandise sales. Sales ended up being 11 percent higher than expected. Two items—a hat shaped like Vinicius's head and a pair of Havaianas with Vinicius on them—were the most popular items sold during the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Reception

Vinicius at the Barra Olympic Park in Barra da Tijuca, photographed in August 2015

People had different opinions about the Olympic and Paralympic mascots, Vinicius and Tom. Some thought they looked strange, while others found them sweet and simple. They were said to represent the animals and plants of Brazil.

Some writers liked how the mascots brought back the fun and colorful spirit of older Olympic mascots. Others compared their style to popular animated characters like Pokémon and Adventure Time. Overall, many felt the mascots were suitable for toys and would be remembered for a short time.