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The flagship London 2012 Olympic merchandise shop opens at Heathrow Terminal 5 with the help of schoolchildren |
UK. With just over 500 days to go until the London 2012 Olympic Games, London Heathrow Terminal 5 today (Tuesday) saw the opening of the largest dedicated London 2012 merchandise flagship.
The 2,300sq m London 2012 Shop, which carries new product ranges including special Beefeater and Queen’s Guard mascot toys, is the first to open at an airport.
The T5 shop offers the biggest range of collectible souvenirs available, including mascots, children’s books, jewellery, exclusive coins such as £5 from the Royal Mint, and Hornby model collectibles such as London taxis and buses adorned with London 2012 artwork.
Wenlock (the London 2012 Olympic mascot) and Mandeville (the Paralympic mascot) also feature prominently in the London 2012 merchandise in the form of soft toys, key rings and posters. The outlet also has an area specifically for Team GB merchandise designed by Stella McCartney for Adidas, the official maker for Team GB’s kit since 1984.
Tuesday’s official store opening was celebrated with an in-store screening of the latest instalment of the London 2012 mascot film – ‘Adventures on a Rainbow’ – to pupils at a London school. The story is written by children’s author Michael Morpurgo and follows the mascots as they continue on their sporting adventure across the UK, inspiring young people to take up sport.
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Olympic mascots Wenlock (right) and Mandeville are featured prominently in the London 2012 airport shop |
During the film Wenlock and Mandeville meet GB athletes Tom Daley, Shanaze Reid, Mandip Sehmi, Phillips Idowu and Ellie Simmonds, and discover British icons including a Queen’s Guard and a Beefeater.
The soundtrack to the film is composed by British composer Thomas Hewitt Jones and has been recorded by teenagers from across the UK in the National Youth Orchestra.
The four-minute film can be seen on the London 2012 website (www.london2012.com/mascots), and is being screened on the London 2012 Live Sites – a network of big screens across the UK.
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of London 2012 organiser LOCOG, said: “Not only have we opened the third London 2012 Shop in Heathrow’s Terminal 5 today, but we’ve also screened for the first time the new mascot film ‘Adventures on a Rainbow’. It follows Wenlock and Mandeville, who have been travelling around the UK meeting sports stars, children at schools in the London 2012 Get Set education programme and community groups and inspiring young people to choose sport as we head towards the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
LOCOG Chief Executive Paul Deighton added: “Our new flagship shop offers a unique opportunity for London 2012 to connect to UK travellers and international visitors, offering them a great chance to take home a piece of the Games. The range of products on offer is huge and the diversity really means there is something for everyone – from pocket-money toys to collectibles.”
With direct links to over 180 destinations worldwide, London Heathrow Airport will be one of the major gateways to the Games in 2012. In addition to several hundred thousand spectators, Heathrow is preparing to welcome over 125,000 members of the Olympic and Paralympic family, which includes athletes, officials and the International Olympic Committee, as well as over 30,000 journalists.
