The Tambo Teddies have begun talks with the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games organisers to have their product used in some way during the world sporting event, thanks to Queensland Country Life.
When we broke the story earlier this week that the western Queensland toy manufacturer was planning to style their existing koala bear to resemble the new Commonwealth Games mascot, Borobi the koala, it quickly came to the attention of Games authorities.
According to co-owner Alison Shaw, it was explained to them that there were protocols to negotiate in order to attempt such a link.
“We didn’t realise that at the time,” she said. “We were just so excited to see that a koala had been chosen, which was a great opportunity for our small town and regional Queensland to benefit from the Games.
“We looked at the mascot to see what we’d have to modify, and we were planning to contact them once a prototype was made.”
She said they were told in no uncertain terms that they couldn’t put any photographs of that out to the world because the Games was “protecting its brand”, but they were now making an application to be an official Games partner.
“We’ll be emphasising the benefit to small business in a small Queensland town, and to the wider state,” she said.
“We’ve also told them how we donate $2 from each sale of our koalas to the Australian Koala Foundation, so this could be a win/win idea for them too.
“At least we’ve been able to make contact and find out how to go about this. We hope we can continue the conversation on with a successful outcome.”
Commonwealth Games organisers also contacted Queensland Country Life to demand the story be removed from our website, which was refused.
The request was made from the head office on the Gold Coast on the grounds that the unauthorised Tambo Teddies product would hurt their revenue streams, according to a Games representative who spoke directly to Queensland Country Life.
Ms Shaw said mass production was not their intention at all, with local people hand-sewing and stuffing each bear with wool.
“We saw them as being special gifts to dignitaries and the like. We don’t expect to make millions from this.”
Tambo Teddies are already prized in the British royal family, with one chosen as the official Queensland government gift on the birth of Prince George.
