Since the first mascot in Olympic history made its appearance at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, mascots have become a main element of the Olympic image. As a unique and popular image full of vitality, a mascot is able to materialize the Olympic spirit, communicate the concepts of each Olympic Games, promote the history and culture of the host city and create a festive atmosphere for the Games. Mascots act as a significant vehicle for communicating the Olympic spirit to the general public, especially children and youth. The International Olympic Committee and the organizing committees of every Olympic Games require high quality of the mascot design. The unveiling of the mascot for each Olympic Games has drawn global attention and become the highlight of the Games. During the evolution of the Olympic mascots, innovation and personality are always top priorities while importance is attached to the participation of the general public, particularly the children. The design and solicitation of mascots are actually public campaign of the Olympic Games.

      In terms of the artistic form of mascots, before the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, most Olympic mascots were created based on the animals unique to the host countries and they were normally of one species. Since 1992, human or totally invented figures have appeared and changes have also taken place in the number of mascots. The 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games had four mascots; the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games had three and the 2004 Athens Olympic Games has two. Whatever shapes they have, they fundamentally share a creative rationale, that is, the mascots must be able to convey the theme of the Olympic Games, showcase the distinctive geographical features, history and culture unique to the host city.