Two alien-like creatures called Mandeville and Wenlock have been unveiled as mascots for London 2012 Games.
Going all-out for child appeal, London 2012 organisers created a cartoon and signed up best-selling children's writer Michael Morpurgo to build a background story for the abstract characters.
Children from St Paul's Whitechapel Primary School in the east London Olympic borough were the first members of the public to see the duo in action.
London 2012 chair Lord Coe led a special assembly in the school hall and told the youngsters think of them as "good friends". But the dynamic duo, created for the digital age, is also a key money-spinner for London 2012 which must raise £2 billion from the private sector to stage the Games.
London 2012 said it cost "a few thousand pounds" to create the designs but would not release a figure.
Wenlock and Mandeville will appear on everything from toys to mugs when the mascots go on sale from this year's two-year countdown to the start of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. A limited edition run of t-shirts and pin badges is already available on the London 2012's online shop.
London 2012, who continue to stress its aim is to engage youngsters in sport, plumped for the abstract shapes when children who made up various focus groups said they were not interested in a human or animal mascot.
Wenlock and Mandeville come complete with their own Twitter and Facebook sites plus their own website at www.london2012.com/mascots.
Organisers will also be hoping the mascots avoids the controversy sparked by London 2012's £400,000 logo - which was widely panned when it was launched.
