Designing concept of the mascot

Like the mascots for huge worldwide events such as Olympics and World Cup, the mascot of World Expo is very important for interpreting the theme and expressing the culture. The emblems and images of past World Expos have turned into the unique intangible legacy. The World Expo mascots have not only become the representatives of Expo images, but also embody the culture and spirit of hosting countries and cities.

Mascot, as the symbol featuring the hosting country, will embody the history, development, culture, concept and social background of the country and will play an important role in the communication in political, economical and cultural fields.

The mascot of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China is trying to accomplish the following functions:

1. To embody the culture of the hosting country

World Expo 2010 Shanghai China is a global event that is hosted by China and undertaken by the city of Shanghai. It is the first time that a developing country will host a registered World Expo. The design of Shanghai Expo mascot must have Chinese cultural characters, state the Chinese cultural sprit and manifest that Shanghai Expo is a platform for worldwide cultural exchange. Meanwhile, the design must accord with Chinese laws and social conventions.

2. To interpret the theme "Better City, Better Life"

The mascot of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China should become the unique visual logo of theme development and should be different from the existing mascot images of previous World Expos and international events in theme manifestation and designing.

The image of mascot should well express the theme of Shanghai Expo "Better City, Better Life" by using innovative ideas, impressive appearance and motions to state its concept and characters. By exploring the relationship among cities, urban dwellers and planet, the mascot must express the inner relation between heritage and future. The designing concept should be clear and unique, which coincide with the theme and easy for the public to undertand.

3. To have the value of re-creation

The mascot of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China should meet the principle of "good looking, easy to understand, easy to remember and easy to use." It should also be suitable for the creation of licensed products, including stationeries, garment, souvenirs and jewelries. The mascot should be easy to be re-created in graphic, solid or electronic media.