112IOC Marketing Report – Beijing 2008 Chapter SixLicensing Beijing 2008 Licensing Programme Long before an Olympic Games begins, the official licensing programme is pivotal in helping to build excitement in the host country, and around the world, by releasing merchandise and souvenirs that feature the Olympic marks and the Games emblem, which project the host city's message onto the world stage and promote the Olympic brand. Licensing programmes also help express the culture of the host country. Beijing 2008 used an appealing blend of traditional designs to shape a unique image for the Games that was instantly recognisable as being Chinese and also unmistakably part of an Olympic tradition. The Beijing licensing programme proved to be a remarkable success, offering a comprehensive product range – the largest in Olympic Games history – with over 8,000 different items of merchandise available from 1,000 retail units across China and beyond. The long queues of excited Olympic fans that stretched outside the Olympic Superstore each day during the Games were a clear illustration of the huge demand for official licensed products. The programme was managed by BOCOG, under the direction of the IOC, and included pins, apparel and accessories, toys, precious metals, stationery, handicrafts, textiles, bags, umbrellas, flags, jewellery and ceramics. Many of the products carried the image of the five official mascots, collectively known as the " Fuwa". " The Beijing 2008 licensing programme offered a wide selection of Olympic Games souvenirs and mementoes. It really caught the imagination of Olympic fans, both in the host country and around the world, and was a great success." Timo Lumme, Director, IOC Television and Marketing Services