A 2,300sq m London 2012 Shop – the largest yet dedicated to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic events – has opened amidst full regalia at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5, alongside a special screening of the new mascots’ film.

With just over 500 days to go until the London 2012 Games, Wenlock (the London 2012 Olympic mascot) and Mandeville (the London 2012 Paralympic mascot) opened the largest dedicated London 2012 merchandise outlet which stocks new product ranges, including special Beefeater and Queen’s Guard mascot toys.

The first such store to open at an airport, the new outlet is designed to give all international and domestic travellers the opportunity to buy a small piece of sporting history as they pass through the terminal. 

SPECIAL FILM
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 Wenlock and Mandeville 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. 

UK-WIDE SCREENING
The full four-minute film can be seen on the London 2012 website atwww.london2012.com/mascots” and is being screened on the London 2012 Live Sites – a network of big screens across the UK. 

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

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.”

Total merchandise for the 2012 London Games is expected to raise £80m ($129.9m) towards the cost of funding the games. The T5 shop boasts a footprint of 2,300msq m and will offer the biggest and best range of collectable souvenirs available. The shop will also have an area specifically for Team GB merchandise designed by Stella McCartney for Adidas, the official makers for Team GB’s kit since 1984.