Over the past 20 years, mascots have carried more weight in areas such as sport, politics, the economy and culture. Representing a host nation or city, it has served successfully to supplement a logo. Actually, it is an envoy that passes the host's history, culture, ideology and values on to the world.
Shanghai is a metropolitan city, all about the modern thing. Themed "Better City, Better Life," I think the World Expo 2010 mascot may reflect more care to its citizens, society and environment.
A mascot wearing a Tang jacket doesn't mean that it is exactly what the Chinese spirit is. The interior feeling and meaning behind the shining appearance is something that deserves to be explored more.
Currently, figure and character designs are popular in the field. When being applied to a mascot, the design work can be whatever is lovely and funny.
In the past, the art of personification has often been used in turning an animal into a mascot, such as a running panda or a lion playing football. I tend to pick an abstract thing as a mascot.
Morizo and Kiccoro, the mascots of the 2005 World Expo in Aichi, Japan, are a good example. The two animated forest fairies were imaginative and fully conveyed the expo theme.
In addition, cartoon characters named Neve and Gliz at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics were also successful. Representing a ball of snow and a block of ice, they represented Olympic values such as friendship, fair play and the spirit of competition.
Whatever route a designer takes, it leads to the same destination - to create something simple, lovely, easy-going and widely-accepted with his insight and foresight.
A mascot is a cultural and artistic legacy left by a great event rather than something disappearing at the conclusion of the event. Bearing this in mind can help designers create an animated and lovely mascot representing Shanghai and China both at present and in future.
(The author is vice president of the Hong Kong Artists Association.)