On December 15, 2014, the Rio Olympic Organizing Committee announced on Sunday that the mascots of the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics were named Vinicius and Tom respectively. ), both names come from famous Brazilian musicians.

The mascots for the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics were announced on November 23, 2014. Inspired by Brazilian animals and plants, the two mascots represent Brazilian animals and plants respectively, reflecting the passion and unrestrainedness of the Samba country. The Rio Olympic Organizing Committee did not announce the name of the mascot that day, but announced that it would be named through public voting online. After three weeks of voting by 323,327 people, the Rio Olympics mascot was named Vinicius, while Tom became the name of the Paralympic mascot. Both names come from famous Brazilian bossa nova musicians, namely Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim.

The main color of the mascot Vinicius is yellow, which represents Brazilian animals, including the spirituality of cats, the agility of monkeys and the elegance of birds. Tom was inspired by Brazilian rainforest plants. The main color is blue, and the top of his head is covered with green and yellow leaves that represent Brazil.