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Merchandise featuring the cheery red figure, which is based on a symbol of the French Revolution, has become a best seller at boutiques around Paris.
By Liz Alderman
Liz Alderman interviewed scads of shoppers at the Olympics megastore in Paris, where there was no getting away from mascot mania.
Aug. 9, 2024, 12:00 a.m. ET
Some think it’s a cross between the Eiffel Tower and a beret. Others see it as a goofy, red French Smurf. Most people can’t even pronounce its name.
It’s Phryge (pronounced freej), the official mascot of the Paris Olympics. Mocked by the French when it was unveiled, it has become the hottest-selling item in town — and a symbol of the transformation of France’s perception of the Games from an unwanted nuisance to an unqualified triumph.
At the Olympics megastore on the Champs-Élysées, 15,000 shoppers stand in a line nearly five blocks long every day to snap up Phryge in its many iterations (Posing as the Mona Lisa! Running with the Olympic flame!) and to buy millions of euros’ worth of official Olympic-branded merchandise.
“J’adore!” said Jenny Prudhomme, a native of southern France who works as a volunteer at the Games. She exited the store on a recent afternoon with a red tote bag featuring the google-eyed mascot, which is modeled on the Phrygian hat, a symbol of the French Revolution. “It represents France, but more than that, it’s a souvenir of the Olympic Games, which have made us so proud,” she said.
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With only a few days left until the Olympics close, French pride has bubbled over with a burst of unexpected enthusiasm that gripped Paris as soon as the Olympic cauldron was lit. An earlier deluge of grumbling gave way to a flood of excitement as nearly a million tourists descended the first week, and France won a record number of medals at packed events, many of which included the mascot energizing the crowd.
