Rio 2016 presented its officially licensed products, which are expected to generate R$1 billion (US$ 252 million) in Brazilian retail, during a special event for distributors, retailers and media in São Paulo on Thursday (1 October).

Among the highlights were Rio 2016 branded beach accessories (including Havaianas flip-flops), Lego models of the Games mascots, a taster of the Rio 2016 version of the Mario and Sonic computer game, jewellery, and those old favourites of merchandise collectors: stamps and coins.

Rio 2016 expects 70 per cent of the products to be bought by Brazilians and 30 per cent by foreign visitors for the Games, while the mascots – Vinicius for the Olympic Games and Tom for the Paralympic Games – are expected to be star attractions. “We are certain that Vinícius and Tom will account for some 25 per cent of our sales,” said Sylmara Multini, Rio 2016’s licensing director.

Rio 2016 Olympic Games mascot Vinicius, in Lego form (Photo: Rio 2016)

Multini said the Rio 2016 licensing project was the biggest challenge she had faced in a long career in licensing. “It is a project in which the sales peak, accounting for about 80 per cent of the total, happens in just 17 days of the event. We need to prepare the Brazilian retail market for a wave of consumption that it has never seen before and will probably never see again.

This was the logic behind Thursday’s event in Brazil's biggest city and financial capital, which featured presentations on the Games and an exhibition of all the products already developed – about 3,000 – with the aim of reaching 40,000 sales points across Brazil, in addition to the 150 official stores. São Paulo was officially confirmed as one of the Rio 2016 football co-host cities on Wednesday (30 September) and the ‘mobile showroom’ will next be presented in Rio, on 14 October, with other football co-host cities – Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Manaus – expected to host the event next year.

Not to be outdone, here is the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games mascot Tom, in Lego form (Photo: Rio 2016)

The Rio 2016 online store will be another crucial outlet. While it is currently only available for sales in Brazil, the organising committee plans to make it available for overseas customers in February 2016.

Up to now, 58 licensing contracts that will produce 8,000 products have been signed. Five official stores are already open, with 10 set to be in operation by the end of the year.

Havaianas flip-flops decorated with the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games mascot Tom (Photo: Rio 2016)