1 LIVE POLL, 1 PS: [6/17] Favorite FIFA World Cup Mascots (Natl' Mascot Day)

@Pencho15​, I just proposed this poll suggestion today and I want to get it right. I have been playing with question's phrasing and as for the images, only one was in a IMDb title photo gallery prior to today. I agree that all the men's FIFA World Cup mascots are accounted for, but I would like to use actual event images for all the pre-1980 mascots (first four mascots), particularly of mascot, Juanito from the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. The image I have now is more of a stand-in, until I can find a better one.

Despite, there being thousands of images of the seemingly millions of Juanito products that were sold at that World Cup, there doesn't seem to be any actual images of the mascot at work during that World Cup online. It is almost like his existence has been scrubbed from the internet, which I wouldn't think would be possible for such a high-profile event. 

@urbanemovies​ 

Do you know for sure that Juanito appeared "in person", in costume? I think some of them were primarily cartoon characters.

The image of Gauchito seems to be a modern recreation.

@urbanemovies​ I just asked my parents who where around for that World Cup, they do not remember seeing any Juanito's in the stadium or anywhere else. I have never seen images of him anywhere besides the cartoon so as Peter says, he probably never appeared in costume.

@Pencho15​  & @Peter_pbn​,

That seems very plausible, as I have only seen the mascot from 1970 as a hand-drawn image, in a cartoon short, or as World Cup merchandise.

• It also seems to be consistent with the use of other early World Cup mascots.
• I made the assumption the absense was due to the backlash and controversy from the character, due people thinking he was a racist caricature and they were shocked at how commercially exploited the mascot was (a new thing at the time).
• I assumed they would either have hired a little person in a mascot costume to the be in-person mascot or used a statue stand-in, like Mexico did in 1986, Italy did in 1990, and Quatar did in 2022 (all likely done for functionality reasons).
• It would also help to explain the limited in-stadium images of other early World Cup mascots, like Willie in 1966, Tip and Tap in 1974, and Gauchito in 1978. 
• The use of anamorphic sports mascots was just emerging during this period, so I now think this is more a case of them finding their way in these early days (prior to San Diego Chicken demonstating with his debut in the mid 1970s how powerful a mascot can be as a marketing tool).
• I also was applying standards on how mascots are depicted and used today to how they were depicted and used a half century ago.

Now

Then

@Peter_pbn​,

I am purposefully using modern renderings for "Juanito" and "Gauchito" to level the playing field among all the mascots. Both images I feel are true to the original imagery, while improving the look and quality over the cheap 1970's era hand-drawn images or the nitrate-stock film animation that were originally used with to depict these two period mascots that haven't aged well.

I am using a "Tip and Tap" mascot toy for the other 1970s era World Cup for the same reasons. I feel all three images were even considered below quality in the era they were made and demonstrates how FIFA viewed them as a marketing expense rather than as a marketing investment. It also solves the problem to some degree of not having an in-person mascot to display that appeared during the 1970s World Cup era by narrowing the gap by using images that are more photo-realistic.

@urbanemovies​ I can assure you there was no backlash or controversy regarding Juanito nor was he considered a racist caricature. In Mexico we don't usually share the sensibilities that other countries have around some depictions and we are ok with most representations as long as we don't feel they were made to offend us. 

I remember some years ago that the in the US there was a debate about retiring Speedy Gonzalez taking him as a racist cartoon and here in Mexico we were saying, leave Speedy alone, we love him.

Juanito is mostly forgotten, but is fondly remembered by those who saw that World Cup and I don't remember ever reading or hearing any bad comment about him.

@Pencho15​,

I agree the character seems endearing, I don't think the issue was about him, but about how corporations capitalized on him.

The issue supposedly was about how Madison Avenue portrayed Mexicans as lazy, due to Juanito's chubby appearance and sloppy dress. I thought the comment was interesting, because the backlash occured during a period that didn't blink an eye at Mickey Rooney's Asian neighbor portrayal in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'.

As for the commercial exploitation, I assume that controversy was as much that this type of marketing was new than the degree. I assume people took issue with Juanito's primary use as a pitchman during the 1970 World Cup appearing on World Cup sponser's posters, TV commercials, billboards, etc. and being used to hawk everything from Coca-Cola to sporting goods to potato chips.

I found this image of Juanito as balloon (just for fun, not necessarily a suggestion for the list)

@urbanemovies​ 

A possible problem is that IMDb doesn't want fan art, including AI-generated images, to be added to pages.

I don't see a problem with using images of the form in which mascots were mainly seen at the time.

@Peter_pbn​ Thanks, I did run across it during my googling for related images and considered it. This image still has all the issues I cited before, if I wanted a more authentic rendition I would just settle for the lower quality and post a still of the original 1970 animated short featuring Juanito or with a 1970 advertisement with Juanito as a pitchman endorsing a World Cup sponsor's product.

I think I even prefer using three plastic 1970s era toy or key chain mascots over using animated stills or period drawings as an alternative to what I have now.

@Peter_pbn​ I get the fan art rule, as they want to keep it authentic and within the scope. I would think that like all rules, there needs to be exceptions, when they serve a purpose and it doesn't get out of control.

Plus, it seems contradictory to reject period images (that are below 50kB) for submission for older titles, but then to expect your photo gallery to entirely comprised of high-resolution images (that are above 50kB) that all are period (when that standard didn't even exist). This digital age standard applied to an analog period, probably explains in part why the photo galleries of older World Cups are nearly empty.

@Pencho15​

For whatever reason, I think people love to complain. You can add Goleo's (the lion mascot isn't wearing any pants) controversy and La'eeb (the mascot is too ghostly) controversy to the long list.

@urbanemovies​ For what is worth the current mascots, at least here in Mexico, aren't generating any emotions. They are quite bland and no one really cares for them that I know off, I have seen a few shirts with them for sale, but no one wearing them yet.

@Jessica​ Corrected, Location: South Africa

@dan_dassow​ Thanks.