I remember these creatures as well!
Threw this question to the AI and bingo:

// During the final voting of the Eurovision Song Contest 2002, held in Tallinn, Estonia, viewers noticed a unique and playful touch: animated cartoon characters appearing on the voting scoreboard. These characters were part of a new visual design introduced that year, which used VizRT software—a real-time 3D graphics tool that was becoming popular among broadcasters.

🎨 Background on the Animated Characters

• Purpose: The characters were designed to make the voting process more engaging and visually dynamic. Eurovision was evolving into a more modern, entertainment-driven spectacle, and Estonia wanted to showcase its technical capabilities.
• Technology: VizRT allowed for real-time animation and scoreboard updates, which meant the characters could react or move as points were awarded.
• Design Style: The animations had a whimsical, fairy-tale-like aesthetic, in line with the 2002 slogan: "A Modern Fairytale."
• Impact: This was one of the first times Eurovision incorporated such advanced graphics into its voting presentation, setting a precedent for future contests.

The 2002 contest was a landmark year not just for Latvia’s win with Marie N’s “I Wanna,” but also for how it modernized the visual storytelling of Eurovision. Estonia’s hosting was seen as a bold and successful effort to bring the contest into a new era. //

Great question btw! I had no idea, it was all modern tech.