Waldi
| Waldi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mascot of the 1972 Summer Olympics (Munich) | |
| Creator | Otl Aicher |
| Significance | A dachshund |
Waldi (German pronunciation:
Origin
Waldi was created by German designer Otl Aicher, who amongst others was also responsible for designing the logo for German airline Lufthansa. The Dachshund was the first official Olympic mascot, as the 1968 Winter Olympics was the first to use an unofficial mascot, which was red ball on skis named "Schuss".[1] Waldi was designed to represent the attributes described as required for athletes — resistance, tenacity and agility.[2]
Waldi was based on a real long-haired Dachshund named Cherie von Birkenhof, which Aicher used as a model. Although Waldi appeared in a variety of different color schemes, it is occasionally reported that the main scheme was designed to match the colors of the
Merchandise
Fifty licences were granted to manufacturers, at a minimum licensing fee of 245,000
1972 Olympic Marathon
The marathon route in the 1972 Olympics was created to resemble Waldi. The course was arranged so that the head of the dog faced west, with athletes running counter-clockwise, starting at the back of the dog's neck and continuing around the ears. The mouth of the dog was represented by the path through the
Legacy
During construction, the bill for the 1972 Olympics increased from the original estimate of $3.5 million to $63 million on the roof of the
To coincide with the Phaidon Press publication of the first monograph of Otl Aicher's work, an exhibition of his work on the 1972 Olympics was shown in London in 2007, including his work involving Waldi.[7]
References
- ^ a b c Whelliston, Kyle (8 July 2008). "Meet the Mascots: Waldi (Munich 1972)". Swifter Higher. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ Crossland, David (7 September 2008). "Dachshund's days look numbered". The National. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ Sinclair, Mark (22 February 2007). "72+". Creative Review. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ "Olympic Mascots:Waldi". Hickok Sports.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-88011-969-6.
- ^ "Sport: A Playground". Time.com. 4 September 1972. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
- ^ "72 Exhibition". Bibliotheque Design. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
External links
Olympics portal
Europe portal
Germany portal
