Why were the London 2012 mascots chosen?

Answer 1

In October 2008 the Olympic website advertised the opportunity to design the mascots on for London 2012 website. After more than 100 designers, artists and agencies applied, we spent the next few months selecting the best ideas and developing them based on the public's feedback.

When the final three ideas were tested with people all round the UK, they learnt that the British public didn't just want a character, they also want a story. They also tested the ideas with toy industry experts who agreed that Wenlock and Mandeville were the best choices.

Based on all the feedback we received, we selected Wenlock as the official Olympic mascot and Mandeville as the official Paralympics mascot for London 2012 in December 2009. The mascots were designed by London creative agency