(CNN) -- Aliens have taken over London and the invasion is gathering pace. First it was YouTube clips, then appearances with the mayor. Now they're on the shelves of every corner shop and immortalized in statues across the city.
Or at least that's how visitors to the Olympics might imagine the futuristic, one-eyed creatures plastered on everything from key rings to double-decker buses.
They are of course London 2012's Olympic and Paralympic mascots -- Wenlock and Mandeville. And with the Games just days away you'd better get used to seeing a whole lot more of that giant eyeball.
With their metallic bodies, built-in cameras and sci-fi genetics, it's an ambitious design aimed at the digital age.
But does it work? Are these otherworldly creatures the cutting edge of design or just plain creepy?
Described as everything from "a drunken one-night stand between a Teletubby and a Dalek," to having "just the right balance of digital zeitgeist and cheeky playfulness," it seems people still aren't quite sure what to make of London 2012's mascots.
Cute and cuddly they ain't
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Famed sports photographer Neil Leifer dreamed of getting this shot of 1976 Olympic star Nadia Comaneci. Because of his determination, planning and excellent position in the gym, he did. The photo exemplifies the 14-year-old's performance at the 1976 games -- she was the first gymnast in Olympic history to be awarded the perfect score of 10. Perpendicular to the balance beam, Leifer cut out any other distractions and focused on Comaneci during a peak moment. She's practically dancing on air, performing against the dark curtain of the audience. It captures her grace beautifully and simply, and freezes her victory in time.
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On the verge of collapse, marathon runner Dorando Pietri is helped across the finish line at the 1908 London Olympics. The Italian was subsequently disqualified and the title given to John Hayes of the U.S.
The 1908 London Olympics
Waldi the Daschund set the standard for cute and cuddly animals as the first mascot at the 1972 Munich Games. Likewise Moscow opted for the adorable, if unimaginative, Mishka the Bear in 1980.
The Olympic mascot has always been aimed at children -- and the wallets of their parents. But it's also an embodiment of the host city's personality and a lasting legacy of its Games.
Driving all of this is a massive merchandise operation. Sure, Wenlock and Mandeville need to look good -- but they also need to sell. LOCOG are hoping to make £80 million ($124 million) from merchandise sales alone.
"I think they started as a pretty ambitious pair with real potential to be used across a new medium -- social media. But I don't think they've pulled it off completely," Mark Sinclair, deputy editor of London design magazine, Creative Review, told CNN.
"I don't think people have been able to warm to them because they're kind of severe looking with this massive eye. Maybe that's what's alienated people because they can't quite get a handle on what they are.
"They're missing a little bit of soul."
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Right. So what are they?
But maybe that's just the response from an "older, stuffier generation," as Wenlock and Mandeville co-designer Grant Hunter told CNN.
The pair were designed by marketing agency Iris and named after the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock, which helped inspire Pierre de Coubertin to launch the modern Olympics, and the Buckinghamshire village of Stoke Mandeville, where the Paralympics were founded.
Supposedly created out of magical droplets of steel left over from the Olympic Stadium, every element of their design is laden with symbolism.
The taxi lights on their heads refer to London's black cabs and their origins from a steel melting pot are likened to multicultural Britain.
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Their distinctive giant eyes even have built-in cameras to record their experiences. Though in a country with one of the highest number of CCTV cameras in the world, this particular symbolism may be a little too close to home.
The children's mascot
But perhaps the most important critic is the children they were created for.
"The brief stated, 'Inspire young people to get involved with sport.' We judge the success by the response of young people to our creations," Hunter said.
"If you look at sites like the BBC's CBBC you'll see the overwhelming positive feedback that Wenlock and Mandeville have received. When you have eight-year-olds saying how cool they look and they want them to visit their school, we know we've done our job."
Mechanical objects are no less endearing than wide-eyed animals, Hunter argues, pointing to the success of Disney's Wall-E.
As nine-year-old Sunil said on the CBBC website: "I think the mascots are really cool because they look like amazing robots."
Sinister spoofs
Some adults aren't so convinced. When Wenlock figurines dressed in police uniforms appeared on Amazon, quick-witted reviewers saw it as an opportunity to deride the "creepy" toy.
"I bought this product amidst my keenness for the Games of the XXX Olympiad," one reviewer posted.
"However when it arrived it knocked down the door in a raid, pinned me down and falsely arrested me for conspiring a bomb plot for mass murder during this summer's sporting events."
With the army being called in to help boost security amid the G4S crisis, and residents complaining about anti-terror missiles on their rooftops, there's already been a huge focus on London's perceived heavy-handedness in the buildup to the Games.
It's an unfortunate context for Wenlock and Mandeville, as Sinclair jokes: "Seeing that eye you're reminded you're on your best behavior, looking over your shoulder to make sure you're not wearing a Nike t-shirt in the venue."
Twitter Olympics
Regardless of your opinion on their design, there's no denying Wenlock and Mandeville's impressive social media credentials.
As momentum builds around the first "Twitter Olympics," London's mascots are well equipped with their own Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, YouTube clips and interactive website.
"We felt that previous mascots had been one-dimensional and had followed a predictable path. We knew that to connect with young people we had to create characters designed for the digital age," Hunter said.
How history remembers them is yet to be seen.
What readers think about the mascots
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Visitors will climb 455 steps -- or ride one of two elevators -- to two observation platforms.
Some of London's most famous landmarks, including the Shard, the Gherkin and St Paul's Cathedral, can be spotted from the top.
The sculpture was the brainchild of artist Anish Kapoor and designer Cecil Balmond.
Anish Kapoor said he chose red -- a color that features in much of his work -- to make sure the sculpture stood out among the grey and white Olympic venues.
The swirling, swooping design has been compared to everything from a hubble-bubble pipe to a rollercoaster.
It also features a large trumpet-like structure at the base.
Anish Kapoor says the bell-shaped canopy is "slightly frightening, a little ominous".
Visitors will be charged £15 (£7 for children) to ascend the tower -- a figure Kapoor admits is expensive.
But its creators and backers hope the latest landmark on London's skyline will soon become as popular as the London Eye.
Olympic athletes endure a journey, and their stories either come to a brilliant finish or a crushing defeat. This shot is brilliant because it manages to encompass Seb Coe's journey and ultimate victory. Not only is it beautifully composed, with light falling on the faces of these runners as they close in on the finish, but it highlights their emotional human struggle as well. Arms outstretched and determination fighting through his entire body, Coe is forever in this moment. The frame before or after may not have encapsulated all of these factors in one shot, and that is why this one shines.
Sometimes, it isn't important to showcase where an event is taking place. But because of great scouting and positioning, Bob Martin was in the right spot to capture this long, elegant, powerful line of cyclists against the backdrop of the Parthenon in Athens. The shot is well-exposed on a sunny day, making those team colors really pop. The contrast is engaging -- putting an ancient landmark against the sea of bright-colored jerseys. But it also shows where the Olympics have been, and where they're going.
Photographers often cite Henri Cartier-Bresson, known for his "decisive moment" photography -- releasing the shutter at just the right time to tell a story. There was no more decisive moment that captured two athletes in their environment than Michael Phelps beating Milorad Cavic by one-hundredth of a second. People all over the world, even Phelps' mother, were asking whether his fingers touched the wall first. If he did, it would be his seventh gold medal of the games, tying Mark Spitz's record. When Heinz Kluetmeier positioned his camera underwater, he had no idea that his photograph would help determine if Phelps won. It may not be the victory shot people anticipated, but it was the most important one.
The Olympics are full of great moments, and Usain Bolt's victory in 2008 was one of them. Robert Beck positioned himself by the 30-meter mark on the track. During Bolt's victory lap, he pulled his signature lightning bolt move, striking his famed gold shoes in the air with the stadium lights illuminating him perfectly -- right in front of Beck. It takes a lot of preparation to nail down the right spot, but sometimes, it really does come down to being in the right place at the right time.
Marathon runners set off from Windsor Castle, cheered on by crowds as they race towards the Olympic Stadium in White City.
A marathon runner is examined by a doctor ahead of the event. However the check-up didn't appear to help Pietri, who fell down five times in the last 2km of the race. He was helped back up by umpires each time.
The Swedish team march past spectators during the opening ceremony, held on April 27.
Danish gymnasts cut a stark contrast in their white finery against the backdrop of the arena, on July 14.
British swimmer Henry Taylor with his very proud trainer after winning the 400 meters.
Captains of the Swedish and English tug-of-war teams shake hands at the tournament held in Crystal Palace.
The Swedish water polo team training in London.
A packed stadium cheers on cyclists during a race. More than 100 years later, the 2012 London Olympics boasts a specially-built Velodrome for cycling, with seating for 6,000 competitors.
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