In 1972, the Summer Olympic Games in Munich introduced Waldi, officially recognised as the first Olympic mascot in history. His creation marked a structural change in Olympic communication, shifting from abstract symbols to character-based storytelling (International Olympic Committee, 1972; Toohey & Veal, 2007).
All facts below are documented, verifiable, and cited in academic style.
1. Waldi was the first official Olympic mascot
Waldi was officially introduced for the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, making him the first mascot formally endorsed by the International Olympic Committee. Earlier events featured unofficial figures, but none held official status (IOC, 1972; Wikipedia contributors, 2024).
2. Waldi was created under the Olympic design program led by Otl Aicher
The Munich 1972 visual identity was led by German graphic designer Otl Aicher, whose team developed the mascot as part of a unified design system that also included pictograms, typography, and signage (Aicher, 1972; Burke, 2018).
Waldi was therefore not a standalone illustration, but part of a comprehensive visual strategy.
Design: Otl Aicher © Florian Aicher, HfG-Archiv / Museum Ulm, IOC
3. The mascot was modelled on a real dachshund
Waldi’s proportions were based on a real long-haired dachshund named Cherie von Birkenhof, which served as a reference during the design phase (Winschermann, 1972; Wikipedia contributors, 2024).
This grounding in a real animal contributed to the mascot’s recognisable anatomy.
4. A dachshund was chosen for cultural reasons
The dachshund is a German breed and was widely familiar to the local population in Bavaria. Contemporary documentation confirms the breed was selected for recognisability and national relevance, not abstract symbolism (IOC, 1972; Toohey & Veal, 2007).
5. Waldi’s colours followed the official Munich 1972 palette
Waldi’s striped body used blue, green, yellow, and orange, colours taken directly from the official Olympic design system. Black and red were intentionally excluded from most Munich 1972 visuals to avoid associations with Germany’s recent past (Aicher, 1972; Burke, 2018).
6. The marathon route was designed to resemble Waldi
The official marathon course map for the 1972 Games was intentionally laid out in the shape of a dachshund. The start corresponded to the “head” and the finish took place in the Olympic Stadium near the “tail” (IOC, 1972; Athletics Technical Report, 1973).
This feature appears in official planning documents and contemporary maps.
7. Waldi merchandise was produced at scale
Munich Olympic organisers issued 50 licensing agreements, each requiring a minimum licensing fee of 245,000 Deutschmarks. Historical records indicate that over 2 million Waldi-branded items were sold worldwide, including plush toys, pins, posters, and stickers (Insidethegames.biz, 2022).
This makes Waldi one of the earliest examples of mascot-driven event merchandising.
References
Aicher, O. (1972). Das Erscheinungsbild der Olympischen Spiele München 1972. Munich: Otto Maier Verlag.
Athletics Technical Report. (1973). Athletics at the Games of the XX Olympiad Munich 1972. Munich: Organising Committee for the Games of the XX Olympiad.
Burke, C. (2018). Otl Aicher: Designer, Typographer, Philosopher. London: Hyphen Press.
International Olympic Committee (IOC). (1972). Official Report of the Organising Committee for the Games of the XX Olympiad Munich 1972. Lausanne: IOC.
Insidethegames.biz. (2022). Waldi, the first Olympic mascot, turns 50.
Toohey, K., & Veal, A. J. (2007). The Olympic Games: A Social Science Perspective (2nd ed.). Wallingford: CABI.
