They let the cat-like thing out of the bag

One bright yellow and cat-like, with a green leaf-haired brother, the mascots for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro were launched by organisers late on Sunday, their backstory being they were born out of the joy of the Brazilian people at having been awarded the games. The mascots, who are said to represent the animals and plants of Brazil, are a key part of the Olympics merchandising campaign which is set to feature 12,000 products and is an important revenue source and a vital way of engaging the public. A public poll will be held to decide the mascots' names from a shortlist of Oba and Eba; Tiba Tuque and Esquindim; and Vinicius and Tom. But whatever name is chosen, organisers hope to raise a billion reais in retail sales from Rio 2016 branded merchandise, and are hoping the mascots help engage younger audiences in the Olympics, with a television series starring the mascots planned to run on Brazilian television next year. But at least it's a much more imaginative choice than some of the more recent mascots we've had.