Plush soft toy Olympic mascot, Vinicius, from the Rio 2016 Summer Games

Yellow plush toy figure with two long arms, two long legs and an oval head with yellow and orange ears and three yellow tufts, one on either cheek and one on the top of the head. Two bands of colour on arms, each in a different shade of pale blue plush with one scalloped free edge. Two bands of colour on legs, each a different shade of orange plush. Hands have four fingers, each with yellow fingertips; feet have three yellow toes. Orange plastic ovals adhered to the soles of each foot. Long green tail, coiling at the end. Face features are embroidered onto cream plush: oval purple eyes, nose and lips, a yellow embroidered oval underneath each eye. Open smiling mouth with black material and orange embroidered tongue. Olympic emblem and rings printed and adhered to oval white plush on front. Sewn in label on proper left side. Merchandising card, folded and hanging on a clear plastic label tag attached to proper left hand.

Vinicius is the mascot for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The mascot was decided by popular vote, a precedent that had been set by the 2014 Winter Olympics. It is an animal figure representing all Brazilian mammals, the design inspired by the fauna of Brazil. The mascot is named after the poet and bossa nova composer Vinicius de Moraes.

The design studio that created the mascot gave it a character which included a special power. To quote the studio: "he can stretch as much as he wants....very useful to give a hug to a big group of friends. His power represents the Olympic athletes' will of reaching higher and higher." The Olympic and Paralympic characters were given profiles on social networks, made into coins, stamps, toys, video games and hundreds of other products. They were also the stars of a cartoon series 'Vinicius and Tom, Funny by Nature'.

B.33-2016