Will the Olympics inspire keepsakes worth keeping?

These days it’s possible to get hold of virtually anything from anywhere via the internet. However, there’s something special about visiting a place or enjoying a unique event and wanting to take home a reminder. 

I’m quite a nostalgic person and love souvenirs and keepsakes, so I wonder what will people take home from London when they descend on the capital for the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations or the Olympics?

Chances are, the flag-waving tourists or lucky ticket holders will be hard pressed to find a satisfying reminder of their day.

John Lewis is the official Olympics retailer and has just under 1,000 products to sell. From what I’ve seen, most of them seem quite bland and not emotive or sentimental. However, the Union Jack deck chair, cushions designed by Jan Constantine and a Tracey Emin poster for the Paralympics stand out.

It must be said that the word souvenir seems to be synonymous with something likely to be tacky, worthless and often mocked. I think retailers are missing a trick with souvenirs.

Big national events present a great opportunity for selling things that nobody else does with a real point of difference. There is no reason why enlightened retailers shouldn’t regard the souvenir market as a chance to look beyond mass-produced, poor-quality items made in far-flung countries. They should consider commissioning British items that have an innate integrity to their design and can be enjoyed by generations to come.

Cocomaya has demonstrated the right approach. For its Best of British promotion at Selfridges over the next couple of weeks, Joel Bernstein and Walid Al Damirji have produced a charming chocolate box with a nostalgic photograph. It’s desirable and collectable and the sort of thing you would want to take home.

There are other good examples. Check out the silk scarves that Liberty commissioned from young British designer James Millar, which are inspired by the clock face of Big Ben and the Olympic logo. They are beautiful, intrinsically valuable and will be enjoyed for years.

The best one for me though has to be the Alexander McQueen scarf which is like an old, washed-out British flag and ironically has God save McQueen emblazoned on it.

The Prince of Wales does a good job in promoting Britain and maintains a high standard of products under the Highgrove banner and Duchy Originals, often bought as souvenirs, providing a quality product with attractive packaging.

The way in which London or Britain should brand itself has been a perennial problem for this country – perhaps because of the wealth of iconic buildings to represent it and a long and colourful history. It is hard to alight upon any one image that conveys the full picture, but images and symbols are important and I am sure they can be represented tastefully through clever design and marketing. 

It’s time that retailers across the spectrum considered commissioning, sourcing and creating quality souvenirs that celebrate all that’s great about this summer’s events, the country and its heritage. Come on Team GB.