In December 2017, there were over 2,000 submissions into the mascot competition. The number dwindled down to six mascots, three for the Olympics and the other three for the Paralympic Games. After the accusations of plagiarism of the 2020 Olympics logo was revealed in 2015 and having to redesign the logo, Japan wasn’t going to take any chances for their mascots. Instead, millions of Japanese students voted for one Olympic and one Paralympic mascot and now the results are in. While the mascot’s names have not been announced yet, here are the winners.

The mascot (left) inspired by a “strong sense of justice and is very athletic”. The other mascot (right) inspired by cherry blossoms and has a “dignified inner strength and a kind heart that loves nature”. Giving the mascots a superhero-like look and feel, expect these two to be plastered everywhere in Japan and during the summer games broadcast.

You can watch the original six characters that were to be voted in December below:

So what about Mario, Pac Man, Hello Kitty, and Doraemon that were showcased during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics? Marketing and why not? It grabbed a lot of peoples attention to be hooked for the summer Olympics in Japan come 2020. Don’t expect to see those familiar faces plastered, that’s what these newly announced mascots will be doing. However, you may expect some of the well-known characters being promotional pieces for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Source: The Guardian