Flagship London 2012 Shop Opens at Heathrow’s Terminal 5

01 Mar 2011 By IPC

With just over 500 days to go until the London 2012 Games, Mandeville (the London 2012 Paralympic mascot) and Wenlock (the London 2012 Olympic mascot) today opened the largest dedicated London 2012 merchandise outlet yet.

The new London 2012 Shop, which stocks exciting new product ranges including special Beefeater and Queen's Guard mascot toys, is situated in Terminal 5 and is the first to open at an airport. The flagship store is set to give all international and domestic travellers the opportunity to stock up on a piece of sporting history as they pass through the terminal.

The shop opening was celebrated with a special in-store screening of the latest installment of the London 2012 mascot film – ‘Adventures on a Rainbow’ – to pupils at London 2012 Get Set Network school Cranford Primary School in Hounslow. Like the first episode, 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.

During the film Mandeville and Wenlock 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 talented teenagers from across the UK in the National Youth Orchestra.

The full 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.

Fans of Mandeville and Wenlock will also be able to engage with digital versions of the mascots with two new innovative additions to www.london2012.com/mascots: 'Make your mascot', a customiser that allows you to create your own versions of Mandeville and Wenlock, with different clothes and sports equipment and 'Swim Wenlock Swim', a webcam-based swimming game.

LOCOG Chair, Sebastian Coe, said: ‘Not only have we opened the third London 2012 Shop in Terminal 5 today, but we’ve also screened for the first time the new mascot film ‘Adventures on a Rainbow’. It follows Mandeville and Wenlock, 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.

‘The film and new website games will continue to engage young people digitally, whilst the mascots continue to visit schools and communities across the UK in the run up to the Games.’

Paul Deighton, LOCOG CEO, said: '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 collectables.'

Footage from the Terminal 5 launch, behind the scenes of the film with athletes, the soundtrack recording with the National Youth Orchestra and the mascots film is available on request