The company has passed from father to son and is now owned by kjeld kirk kristiansen, a grandchild of the founder. The history of the lego group stretches right back to 1932 when the ole kirk starts a company producing wooden toys. He earned his living by constructing houses and furniture for farmers in. Our database contains information on 16621 lego sets and other items released over the last 70 years how to find sets. It is best known for the manufacture of lego brand toys, consisting mostly of interlocking plastic bricks. The lego brand framework shows clearly and unequivocally, in addition to the four promises, what the group. The lego group was founded in 1932 by ole kirk kristiansen.
Granted unprecedented access to every part of the lego group, david robertson not only charts each twist in the companys story but explains. In 1999, lego decided to cut 1,000 jobs and by 2003, net sales fell by 26 percent, play material. After that it gets more into describing the themes and the sub themes which most collectors would be reasonably familiar with. Lego popup book history and model comparison youtube.
From its inception in the early 1930s right up until today the lego groups history is as colourful as the toys it makes. Contentsshow 19th century 1890s ole kirk christiansen, lego company is born. New contest replicate your heroic minifigures in battle. His writing has appeared in lego club magazine as well as lego master builder academy, and his characters and storylines regularly appear in new lego themes and animated lego films. It shows how one mans idea of a wooden toy company can turn into a company that sells billions of lego plastic bricks every year. Despite its expansion, the company remains privately held. We want consumers by 2005 to view the lego brand as the strongest positioned in the world among families with children. It is a mantra that the danish company has followed for more than 80 years. The lego group had humble beginnings, starting in the workshop of ole kirk christiansen, a carpenter from billund, denmark. As the lego group celebrates its 80th birthday, we take a look back at its history with this short animated film. Strategies are launched with the aim of giving all new managers and employees an understanding of the company s basic values. Lego, plastic buildingblock toys that rose to massive popularity in the mid20th century.
If you are a fan of lego, i highly suggest purchasing this book to go with your lego collection. Brick by brick is the compelling story of a danish familyowned company that enjoyed decades of success before its inability to keep in step with a. The company has passed from father to son and is now owned by kjeld kirk kristiansen. Lego s revival has been called the greatest turnaround in corporate history. In the us, lego education north america is a joint venture between pitsco, inc. The lego case study, books and references, corporate strategy.
The history of lego began in 1932 in a danish carpentry workshop and continues into the 21st century as a popular and very profitable line of construction toys and related products and services, including lego board games, retail stores, lego video games, lego films, legoland theme parks, and lego serious play consultant services, with a significant impact on various areas of popular culture. Sarah herman presents an illustrated history of the lego brick, from the. President of the lego company in denmark, explains the lego building toys to children, 1967. History of lego everyones favorite building blocks. The story of ole kirk and the lego company origins hasnt ever been told with such charm and accessibility as this new book by duopress. I love the book gives a nice detailed history of lego as a company and profiles many lego sets, from the basics to the cobranded stuff. The disastrous backstory behind the invention of lego. Through decades of strive for quality the lego organization developed it into a world class brand. The disastrous backstory behind the invention of lego bricks.
The objective is part of the company s strategic platform, designed to create a uniform mindset and language within the company, which will clarify for. Lego is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by the lego group, a privately. Ole kirk kristiansen, master carpenter and joiner, establishes his business in the village of billund, denmark. The ultimate lego book recounts the company s early history as a oneman operation back in the 1930s and subsequent creation of its first plastic automatic binding brick, to the contemporary construction of myriad legoland theme parks. The unofficial illustrated history of the lego phenomenon.
The company refined their designs between 1949 and 1958, but since 1958, the basic bricks have remained unchanged. Brickfilms, videos using lego, have existed since the 1970s. This book is about as comprehensive as you can get without going overboard with information. The lego group has also built several amusement parks around the world, each known as legoland, and operates numerous retail stores. The lego group had lost money four out of the seven years from 1998 through 2004. As the lego group celebrates its 80th birthday, we take a look back at its. A look at the history behind the lego ideas popup book set 215 and a comparison between the final set and the original ideas submission model. The lego book new edition with exclusive lego brick by. A book devoted to the subject, david robertsons brick by brick. A family, the kirk christiansens, with a passion for childrens play invented an outstanding product the lego brick. Children like lego toys however their parent are person who will pay for all of this. The toy was inspired by a set of selflocking bricks invented by a british company. The design of the book is really great, it includes reprinted catalogs from the past as well as other bits of history.
Discover all there is to know about one of the worlds most beloved toy companies. For stopmotion films made using lego bricks, see brickfilm. It doesnt help that discussions around some of the themes are outdated now. Celebrate and explore the incredible story of the lego group and its muchloved bricks, sets, minifigures, movies, games, and more with this. A history of the danish toy company lego, who went from producing wooden toys to the enduringly popular plastic bricks we all love. If you are a fan of lego, i highly suggest purchasing this book to go with your lego. Celebrate and explore the incredible story of the lego group and its muchloved bricks, sets, minifigures, movies, games, and more with this updated and expanded edition. In 1957, the interlocking principle of lego bricks was born, and in 1958, the studandcoupling system was patented, which adds significant stability to built pieces. For video games based on or are original lego properties, see list of lego video games.
And this transformed them into the lego bricks we know today. The woodworking shop that the chrisiansens made is founded. Beautiful pages reveal, explore, and celebrate the fascinating story of lego. In 1995, the lego group formulates the following objective. Easy to pickup and just flip through the great photos of lego creations, or go deeper and read all the. Lego s popularity is demonstrated by its wide representation and usage in many forms of cultural works, including books, films and art work. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. In commissioning the lego play well report, our aim is to help us all better understand what the simple, instinctive act of playing means in 2018. Notes available from email protected, set does not include lego elements but a book with tips how to build models using the lego creator series. The first couple of chapters were good in terms of the history of the lego company and how it started.
The lego book is the book for both the beginning lego fan and the seasoned veteran. He is the author of the lego ideas book, lego awesome ideas. It has even been used in the classroom as a teaching tool. In 2008, the lego group formulates four promises to its key stakeholders and the community at large. The kirk christiansen family is passionate about the play and development of children and have invented an outstanding product the lego brick. It is very thorough, from the history of lego beginnings all the way to the future of lego bricks. Lego, the lego logo, the minifigure, duplo, legends of chima, ninjago, bionicle, mindstorms and mixels are trademarks and s of the lego group. The toy looks a lot like a modern lego brick, and according to lego the fact that its name was english, not danish, was an homage to the allied forces that liberated denmark and put an end to world war ii. Brickset is the most established, accurate and uptodate lego database on the internet today. The quality history of the lego group could have been a fairytale but it is a true story. Two years later he named his company lego after the danish phrase leg godt play. Also in 1958, ole kirk christiansen passed away and his son godtfred became head of the lego company.
Play promise, partner promise, planet promise and people promise. Sales dropped 30 percent in 2003 and 10 percent more in 2004, when profit margins stood at 30 percent. Lego started making plastic toys in 1947, and it was the first company in denmark to use a plastic injectionmolding machine. Daniel lipkowitz is a senior writer and story developer at the lego group. Lego is easily one of the largest toy companies in existence, yet only about 15 years ago they were having major troubles. The story of how lego came perilously close to disaster but then transformed itself into one of the most successful and innovative companies. How the lego group built itself back together again. The word lego is a contraction of two danish words leg and godt meaning play well. The name lego is an abbreviation of the two danish words leg godt, meaning play well. By 1951, plastic toys made up half of the company s output. Lego blocks originated in the billund, denmark, workshop of ole kirk christiansen, who began making wooden toys in 1932. He is the author of the lego ideas book, lego awesome ideas, and lego play book.
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