LEGO has been a staple of childrens’ playrooms all over the world for over 60 years and at the turn of the Millennium, was named toy of the century by the British Association of Toy Retailers – beating off stiff competition from the teddy bear, Action Man and Barbie. Although it is lesser known to the world that LEGO is actually injection moulded.
The origins of these famous plastic building blocks can be traced back to a carpentry workshop in the small Danish village of Billund where LEGO was founded in 1932. The name ‘LEGO’ is an abbreviation of the two Danish words ‘leg godt’, meaning ‘play well’ and that is exactly what people, both young and old, have done since the brick in its present form was launched in 1958. Using automated injection moulding, plastic granules are moulded to form the globally renowned LEGO brick we all know and love – its interlocking principle with tubular connections offering unlimited building possibilities.
The rise of video games in the late 1990s threatened the toy of the century as they grabbed the attention of children who were now viewing LEGO as ‘old-fashioned’. As a result, in 2003 LEGO was $800 million in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy.
New innovations enabled LEGO to dominate new markets by adapting to the new digital age. Commercial deals with the Star Wars and Harry Potter franchises helped drive their sales to confirm their status as the largest toy manufacturer in the world.
Other innovations such as the Duplo blocks for toddlers and the Technic brand for older users have allowed LEGO to incline their growth and continue to dominate the toy market whilst staying true to their brand identity and values.
In 2014 The Lego Movie grossed $468 million worldwide, and served as a highly effective advertising tool for Lego products. Five years on, The Lego Movie 2 was released, grossing $192 million worldwide.
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