Sunday special project of Realnoe Vremya - amazing stories world brands

The Lego Group is a completely atypical European brand. Along with L'Oreal, Zara, Ritter Sport and literally a dozen other famous brands, it is part of a small group of European companies that have not been sold out by the descendants of the great founders and remain in the hands of members of their families. Children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren of Ole Kirk Christiansen The company does not indulge the press with scandals and public showdowns.The company has been using the services of hired managers for operational management since 2004. Thanks to brilliant marketing decisions and tough management, having survived several crises, in 2018 the Lego Group again declared an increase in profits to 10.8 billion Danish kroner. How a modest carpenter from a small Danish village created a company that occupies almost 10% of the world toy market - in the material of Realnoe Vremya.

Ole Kirk Christiansen - an excellent carpenter and widowed father of four sons

Ole Kirk Christiansen was born on April 7, 1891 in the small village of Filskove, north of the Danish city of Billund, in the west of the country, and became the tenth child in a family of ordinary farmers - Jens Niels Christiansen and Kirstin Andersen. He was educated before high school, and at the age of 14 he went to work at a factory, where he mastered carpentry and carpentry. It is known that Ole Christiansen lived abroad for several years in search of a better life. He worked as a carpenter in Germany and Norway, where he met his future wife Kirstina Sørensen. At the beginning of 1917, they returned to their native Denmark together.

In 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, Ole Christiansen loses his job and moves his family to Billund, a fairly large trading city. There he opens a small carpentry workshop. He received his main income from the sale of wooden ladders and ironing boards, the demand for which fell sharply during the global financial crisis. Soon, Ole Christiansen's wife, Kirstin, dies, leaving him with four sons to raise: Johannes, Karl Georg, Gottfried and Gerhard. Ole Christiansen himself will never marry again.

Left without a stable source of income with his young sons, Ole Christiansen had to urgently look for a new niche in order to save his small business. And he quickly found it - in the production of wooden toys, the demand for which, oddly enough, continued to remain consistently high even in difficult economic times for the whole of Europe and the world. Ole's main assistant was his third son, Gottfried Kirk Christiansen, who immediately after his mother's death, at the age of 12, began working with his father.

Christiansen house and carpentry workshop

Having launched the production of toys, the Christiansens began to look for a name for their company: all employees of the mini-workshop (there were only six of them at that time) were instructed to propose their own ideas. According to the official legend, the reward for the most successful option was to be a bottle of excellent homemade wine, and Ole himself won it, making up the abbreviation “Lego” from the Danish words “leg” and “godt”, together meaning “play well” or “play well.” (information varies among sources).

Denmark's largest plastic injection machine

By 1936, the company had a good customer base, an assortment of 42 different wooden toys, and began to expand its workforce. The 40s were a time of fundamental changes for the company, which influenced its entire subsequent history. In 1942, the Christiansens' only factory and warehouse burned down, but the workshop was restored fairly quickly. American writer Ransom Riggs wrote in his book “Mental Thread” that by 1943 the number of employees at the enterprise reached 40 people. A year later, in 1944, Ole Kirk Christiansen officially registered the company, calling it "LegetOjsfabrikken Lego Billund A/S".

In 1947, Ole came across prototypes of a British toy called Kiddicraft Building Blocks, which had been developed and patented in the UK by Kiddicraft founder Hilary Fisher Page. The pieces had pegs on top and hollow bottoms, allowing children to connect them to create complex designs. Christiansen liked the idea of ​​a “constructor” and a few years later he began trying to make his own toy building blocks. True, the first Lego “constructors” were completely different from modern sets: firstly, they were made of wood, and secondly, the parts lacked special tubes inside, which significantly improve the stability of structures built from them.

Moreover, it seemed that the world was not yet ready for plastic toys: as Ransom Riggs wrote, their sales in the early 50s were mediocre at best. However, Lego gradually began to move away from wooden products, switching to brightly colored plastics. In 1947, the Christiansen family purchased the largest injection molding machine in Denmark, which allowed them to begin mass production of plastic toys. Ole Kirk Christiansen did not see the heyday of his company; biographers attribute most of the credit for creating the global Lego brand and ingenious and breakthrough marketing strategies for its time to Ole’s son, Gottfried Kirk Christiansen.

The Lego brick patent and the creation of the “Lego Universe”

Ole's son, Gottfried, has been involved in his father's business since childhood. In 1950, he was appointed junior vice president of what was at that time a well-developed company. It was Gottfried who came up with the idea of ​​​​transforming Lego blocks into a single “game system”. In 1953, Lego began selling complete building sets, and in 1954 the company received a trademark for its product, Lego Mursten. The company officially launched the Lego System of Play in 1955, the Lego toy world consisted of 28 different sets and eight toy cars.

The modern Lego brick with a pin and tube connection system was patented at 1:58 pm on January 28, 1958. This was a completely new technology that made it possible to connect construction parts much more firmly. By the way, the technology has not changed since then, therefore, theoretically, Lego designers from 1958 and its modern incarnations are completely compatible.

On March 11, 1958, Lego founder Ole Kirk Christiansen dies at the age of 66, and Gottfried immediately takes over the leadership of the family business. last years and so took over most of the operational management of the company. At the same time, Lego decides to sell all "non-brick" Lego products under the Bilo fix brand.

Lightning strike: second fire and final break with the tree

On February 4, 1960, the building in which the Lego wooden workshop was located was struck by lightning and the production burned to the ground. But by that time, plastic Lego toys were already sold throughout Denmark and many European countries, agreements were being prepared to import construction sets to America, plastic provided almost all of the company’s profits, so it was decided not to resume the production of wooden toys and to focus exclusively on plastic ones.

In 1962, Lego began importing its toys to the United States. Access to a new lucrative market was a very important development for the Danish company, which was looking to increase sales worldwide. After 2 years, Lego began to provide brief step by step instructions for assembling the models shown on the packaging to their designers. Each time they purchased a new package of Lego bricks, young “builders” could assemble completely different models from the same parts, which significantly boosted sales. Soon, building instructions became an integral part of every Lego building set.

In 1963, cellulose acetate, the material previously used to make Lego building blocks, was replaced by ABS plastic, which is still used today. ABS plastic is non-toxic, less susceptible to discoloration and material deformation, and has proven to be more resistant to aggressive environments and heat than cellulose acetate. Lego pieces, made from ABS plastic in 1963, still retain their shape. The quality of the Christiansen toys, a huge palette of bright colors and original variations of construction sets soon made the brand very popular.

By the mid-1960s, Lego's main factory employed more than 500 people, according to its official website, and the company continued to grow. The first Lego sets were sold in the US in 1961. By 1966, the production of kits was launched, with the help of which children could build many types of buildings and vehicles, reproduce city streets or race tracks in miniature. A larger version of the construction set, Duplo, designed for toddlers, was added to the range in 1967. A year later, Lego introduced Project Technic for older children and teenagers.

Throughout his years at the helm of the family business, Gottfried Christiansen diligently developed his idea of ​​a “play system,” combining all his toys into a small “universe.” Already under him, Lego began conducting surveys of its target audience, identifying the key advantages and disadvantages of its sets. In the late 60s, Gottfried decided that it was time for Lego to leave the toy world and enter the real world. On June 7, 1968, Lego opened its first Legoland amusement park. It was built on an area of ​​59 hectares in Billund and immediately became a center of attraction for children throughout Denmark. By the way, in the 1990s and 2000s, Lego will continue to build a network of such parks throughout Europe and America.

The famous Lego logo - white with black and yellow outlines on a red background - was designed in 1973. In 1974, the first Lego factory outside Denmark opened in Baar, Switzerland.

Kjell Kirk Christiansen, former CEO of Lego. Photo wikipedia.org

Grandson Ole at the helm - third generation of Christiansens at Lego

In 1979, Gottfried Christiansen handed over the reins of Lego to his son Kjeld Kirk Christiansen, who would lead the company until October 2004. He also has several innovations to his credit, which have definitely brought Lego a share of revenue and the loyalty of small customers. Also in 1979, the company released its first truly themed set - Legoland Space. The success of the space set would encourage Lego designers to create many hundreds of different themed collections. By the way, in 2008 the company will even launch a special Internet resource, Lego Ideas, whose users will be able to propose new ideas for thematic construction sets. The company pays a 1% royalty to the authors of implemented ideas.

Another of Kjeld's accomplishments as head of Lego was the introduction of Lego Minifigures, miniature plastic figurines of characters that populated Lego worlds shortly after their release in 1978. At the same time, the company opens a new line of Lego Technic toys. True, it’s a stretch to call these sets toys: in addition to the usual design parts, Lego Technic included gears, bolts and pins, which made it possible to create more advanced models with more complex technical functions. Some sets in the series later even included small electric motors. Closer to the 90s, Lego began producing robot building kits with its own software platform, Lego Mindstorms.

Under Kjeld Christiansen, Lego also took its first steps into the world of online entertainment. In 1997, the first Lego video game was presented. Since the late 90s, the company began to actively produce thematic collections dedicated to the characters of famous films: Lego Star Wars, Harry Potter Lego, SpongeBob SquarePants and dozens of others sets appeared.

Crisis waves against strong brickwork. Recent Lego history

In 2003, the company experienced its first protracted financial crisis. Construction sets have partly lost their appeal for children due to the explosive popularity of computer games, and the expanding Lego Group was weighed down by the burden of numerous real estate in different countries a world that did not bring profit. The huge number of new projects did not allow the company to properly plan marketing and debug logistics. The company's loss, according to the official reports of the Lego Group, by the end of the year amounted to $220 million. Despite anti-crisis measures and massive layoffs, the next year the loss increased by another 20%.

At the same time, realizing the seriousness of the company's situation, Kjeld Kirk Christiansen, the grandson of the founder of the Danish toy empire, resigned from his post as CEO of the Lego Group. For the first time in the company's 72 years of existence, the company is headed by a hired manager from outside the Christiansen family - Jorgen Vig Knudstorp. As Marketing Journal columnist Todd Weir writes, the new CEO has completely refocused the company's strategy.

Jorgen Knudstorp. Photo vc.ru

First of all, he moved some production from Europe to countries with lower costs, and closed a large Lego plant in Switzerland. Currently, Lego is mainly produced in Denmark, Hungary and the Czech Republic, but there are also production facilities in Mexico. Knudstorp sold off unprofitable foreign real estate and other assets, licensed Legoland parks, streamlined operations and reduced their costs. He also insisted on launching a software, interactive games and digital design industry within the group of companies. The result of these transformations was the huge success of the Lego films and the company's new product lines based on Star Wars and Disney products.

By 2005, the company was back in profit, with annual revenues amounting to about $100 million. Over the next 12 years, the Lego Group continued to grow, expanding production facilities in Mexico and Hungary, and increasing profits. In 2011, according to the company’s official website, the Lego Group already occupied 7.1% of the global toy market share, and the company employed almost 10 thousand people around the world. By 2015, the company became the world's largest toy manufacturer with sales of $2.1 billion. According to CNN, in 2016 this figure reached $6 billion, and the company employs almost 19 thousand people.

On September 4, 2017, Lego's winning streak over the last decade was broken. Lego announced falling profits and falling sales, as well as laying off 1,400 employees. In October of the same year, former Danfoss executive director Nils Christiansen (namesake, not a relative of the company's founding family) was hired as CEO of the Lego Group. Then, in an official release, the company said that the loss of income was due to the more competitive environment that had created, in which Lego had to compete not only with traditional competitors Mattel and Hasbro, but also with technology giants.

According to the BBC, the company managed to return to growth again in 2018. Profits increased 4% to DKK 10.8 billion and sales rose 4% to DKK 36.4 billion. The Lego Group is still controlled by the Christiansen family and its foundations.

The material is written based on data from the official website of the Lego Group.

Online newspaper "Real Time"

Founded by Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1932 in Billund (Denmark). Initially, the company specialized in wooden furniture and toys, and later began producing construction sets made from special plastic blocks. Today, LEGO play sets are among the most sought after and popular in the toy industry. In addition to classic construction sets, the LEGO company produces themed sets (including those based on movies) and computer games.

Name

The name LEGO comes from the Danish words "LEg GOdt" ("to play well, to play with pleasure"). Later it turned out that this word is translated from Latin as “I put together,” which perfectly reflects the main idea of ​​LEGO constructors.

LEGO history

1932 Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter and joiner, founded his own company in Billund (Denmark). His company produces stepladders, ironing boards, chairs and wooden toys. His son, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, has been working in the family business since he was 12 years old.

1934 Christiansen's company has approximately 7 employees. The first line of toys under the LEGO brand appears. Soon the company itself changes its name in accordance with the brand.

1935 LEGO produces a Kirk's Sandgame playset and a wooden duck on wheels that has become very popular. In addition, the company offers clothes hangers “Dagny Holm design”.

1936 Gottfried decorates the workshop with his father's motto, “Only the best is good enough.” LEGO is releasing a new toy, Numskull Jack on the goat, which has become a highlight of the year.

1937 Gottfried Kirk Christiansen turns 17 years old. He begins creating models for LEGO.

1939 The factory employs 10 employees. "Only the best is good enough" becomes LEGO's official slogan.

1939 Denmark is occupied by the Germans. Gottfried does not go to study in Germany, as previously planned, but becomes a manager in his father's company.

1942 The LEGO factory burns down, but production of wooden toys can be resumed quite quickly.

1943 The factory employs 40 employees.

1946 LEGO becomes the first company in Denmark to purchase special equipment for the production of plastic toys and parts for them. The cost of the device is 30 thousand Danish kroner, the company's income this year reaches 450 thousand Danish kroner. The purchase of equipment turns out to be completely justified.

Product of the Year: wooden LEGO bricks with “decorations” - letters and numbers.

1947 LEGO now has The Windsor SH Plastic Molding Machine, a plastic molding machine. As a sample, six series of wooden toy animals are produced and exported to India.

Products of the year: plastic ball for children and educational game "Monopoly".

1948 The factory employs 50 employees.

Product of the Year:"A game of Tiddlywinks".

1949 LEGO produces about 200 different plastic and wooden toys, including the first construction sets - the predecessors of modern LEGO construction sets. They are sold exclusively in Denmark. Branded four-color packaging has appeared.

Products of the year: the first Automatic Binding Bricks with four and eight studs, plastic fish, plastic sailor.

1950 Gottfried Kirk Christiansen turns 30. He was appointed junior vice president of the company.

Product of the Year: three sets of plastic bricks that are sent to kindergartens.

1951 The first film about LEGO was shot (cameraman and director - Christian Lund) - black and white and without sound. Plastic toys account for half of the company's output.

Products
of the year: a building made of bricks (base area - 10x20 studs), a plastic Ferguson tractor, which can be assembled and disassembled.

1952 Ole Kirk Christiansen plans to expand the company and build a new plant. The company has its own canteen.

Product of the Year: large plastic and wooden cars.

1953 The Automatic Binding Bricks get a new name – LEGO Mursten. The signature LEGO logo is printed inside each piece. An application for trademark registration has been filed.

Products of the year:"Gift Box" containing a plastic Chevrolet car.

1954 The LEGO trademark was officially registered on May 1st. Gottfried Kirk Christiansen goes to England and meets a purchasing agent on a ferry, with whom he communicates about toys. After this, Gottfried came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a LEGO system.

Products of the year: windows and doors for LEGO constructors.

1955 The company improves the bricks and launches a revolutionary project – “LEGO System of Play”. This is a fundamentally new gaming platform. Gottfried demonstrates it at the toy fair in Nuremberg (Germany), where it receives many positive reviews. LEGO begins its first real export - to Sweden.

Products of the year: 28 gaming sets and 8 cars plus additional elements.

1956 LEGO Spielwaren GmbH becomes distributor in Germany.

Products of the year: cyclists and motorcyclists (small plastic figures of men).

1957 Gottfried Kirk Christiansen becomes Managing Director of LEGO. A new way of connecting bricks has been invented. The LEGO Group is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Products of the year: international and Danish flags, LEGO bricks glowing from within.

1958 Patented new system connections between blocks - “pins and tubes”. It makes the models more stable. Gottfried Kirk Christiansen becomes head of the company, which by that time has 140 employees. Product of the year: slanted bricks (tiles).

1959 Futura, LEGO's development department, consists of five employees. A market analysis department and its own photo studio appear. The company's technological equipment has been significantly improved and is partially automated. LEGO toys are sold in France, Great Britain, Belgium and Sweden.

Product of the Year: Bilo-fix (combination of wood and plastic).

1960 A warehouse of wooden LEGO toys burns down. A decision was made to discontinue their production. The company employs 450 employees. LEGO sets are sold in Finland and the Netherlands.

Product of the Year: bricks with numbers.

1961 The LEGO range includes 50 playsets and 15 vehicles, as well as various additional elements. Sales start in the USA and Canada under a license agreement with Samsonite Corporation. Product supplies to Italy are being established. Gottfried Kirk Christiansen buys a small Piper Apache plane, and a landing site is established in the immediate vicinity of Billund.

Products of the year:“Big City” set, Terapi line for preschoolers.

1962 The LEGO Wheel line has been relaunched. Sales start in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Morocco and Japan.

1963 LEGO production begins to use ABS, a special plastic that provides better adhesion to parts. Sales start in Austria, and INTERLEGO AG is created in Switzerland.

Product of the Year: London Bus toy (London bus).

Gottfried Kirk Christiansen lists the characteristics that every LEGO product should have:

1. Unlimited game potential.

2. Suitable for girls and boys.

3. Suitable for all ages.

4. Suitable for any season.

5. Healthy and calm games.

6. You can play for a long time - even several hours.

7. Development of imagination and creativity.

8. The more LEGO bricks, the better.

9. Additional elements and kits are always available.

10. The quality is visible in every detail.

1964 In addition to the core and special LEGO sets, a line of models is being launched. First sales in the Middle East (Lebanon). LEGO bricks are on display in the Danish Pavilion at the New York World's Fair. A new LEGO factory opens in Germany.

Products of the year: car models, Jumbo line (together with the Samsonite brand).

1965 First sales in Spain. The company employs more than 600 people.

Products of the year: special “tile” bricks, a set of doll furniture.

1966 The company's product range includes 57 sets and 25 vehicles. In one year, 706 million LEGO elements were produced. Branded construction sets are sold in 42 countries around the world.

Products of the year: Railway battery-powered, light bricks.

1967 There are currently 218 different LEGO elements (not counting color variations). 19 million LEGO sets are sold every year. A wheel for small toy cars was invented.

Products of the year: biplane, motorized trucks.

1968 LEGOLAND amusement park opens in Billund. On the first day it attracts 3,000 visitors. The LEGO Group introduces its first computer, the NCR 390, costing DKK 85,000. First sales in Latin America (Peru and Curacao).

Product of the Year: Jeep (project by Kjeld Kirk Christiansen).

1969 LEGO DUPLO range for children under five launched on international level. The first film about the LEGOLAND park appears. Start of production of PVC tires for LEGO cars.

Product of the Year: 12 volt motor for trains.

1970 LEGO employs approximately 1,000 people in Billund.

Products of the year: colored gears for models, LEGO Impulse boxes cars.

1971 A new plastic molding workshop has been opened. Minitalia, the first and main competitor of LEGO, appears in Italy.

Products of the year: a line of furniture and dishes for a doll’s house, the book “We Play with LEGO.”

1972 The license agreement with Samsonite (USA) ends. The company has its own PR department. Sales are launched in the Czech Republic. To date, almost 2 billion LEGO bricks and other elements have been produced.

Products of the year: new cars for the LEGOLAND park, re-launch of electric trains.

1973 A new LEGO logo appears, uniting all of the company's products under one label. Sales begin in Eastern Europe(Hungary). Firms were opened in the USA and Portugal. German psychologist Karin Grossman writes the book “Get More with LEGO!” — Scientific research 200 children playing with the legendary construction set.

Products of the year: boats for LEGOLAND park.

1974 The LEGOLAND amusement park features a LEGO replica of the famous Mount Rushmore. Founded in Spain.

Products of the year: LEGO men, Car and Caravan line.

1975 The LEGO company employs 2,500 people. English becomes the official corporate language.

Products of the year: The Expert Series and Moon Landing lines.

1976 A LEGO monument was unveiled in Billund (sculptor – Robert Jacobsen).

Products of the year: Harley Davidson motorcycle, LEGO VILLE line.

1977 Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, grandson of the company's founder, joins the management of the LEGO Group. The DUPLO plant in Billund becomes independent.

Products of the year: LEGO TECHNIC line, DUPLO men.

1978 A new principle has been developed - “System within a System”. The DUPLO rabbit logo appears. The first LEGO Road Show takes place in Dayton (Ohio, USA), which later becomes worldwide.

Products of the year: USS Constellation and The Castle lines.

1979 Kjeld Kirk Christiansen has been appointed President and CEO of INTERLEGO A/S. The DUPLO logo is registered as an independent trademark.

Products of the year: FABULAND and SCALA lines.

1980 An educational products department has been created.

Products of the year: toys for newborns DUPLO, sound elements DUPLO.

According to a survey, by the early 1980s, 70% of Western European families with children under 14 years old had LEGO construction sets in their homes.

1981 The LEGO World Show has opened in Denmark.

Products of the year: special educational program of 22 elements.

1982 The LEGO Fiction department has opened, and the company itself is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Products of the year: educational lines DUPLO Mosaic and Technic I.

1983 There are 3,700 LEGO employees worldwide.

Products of the year: DUPLO rattles, DUPLO trains, FABULAND books.

1984 Subsidiaries were founded in Brazil and Korea. McDonald's is partnering with LEGO for joint promotions in the US and Canada.

1985 The LEGO Prize (an annual international award for exceptional efforts on behalf of children) was founded. The company has 5,000 employees. Collaboration with Professor Seymour Papert begins.

Products of the year: DUPLO farm, LEGO Technic line, new LEGO train series.

1986 The LEGO Group has been awarded the title of Supplier to Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark.

Products of the year: DUPLO Family line, computer control system for LEGO models.

1987 The company has 6,000 employees. LEGO products are sold in 115 countries. Korean climber Yong Hu leaves a LEGO man at the top of Everest.

Products of the year: monorail for LEGOLAND park, DUPLO Playboard line.

1988 The first official world championship in LEGO building is being held. The Art of LEGO exhibition is touring the UK.

Products of the year: lines DUPLO Circus, DUPLO Plane, Forest People, Black Star.

1989 Dr. Seymour Papert becomes head of LEGO Education and Research. It's now called LEGO Dacta (from the Greek word for "study"). The first LEGO Dacta Center opens at LEGOLAND.

Product of the Year: The Pirate line.

1990 The LEGO Group is recognized as one of the world's 10 largest toy manufacturers, the only one in Europe (the others are located in the USA and Japan).

Product of the Year: DUPLO Zoo line.

1991 The company has 7,550 employees. The number of molding machines in the five LEGO factories reaches thousands.

Products of the year: Ships, Flex-system elements and 9-V train lines.

1992 Two Guinness records at once: 545 meters of LEGO railway and a castle made of 400 thousand LEGO bricks. Subsidiaries were opened in Japan and Hungary. The first LEGO exhibition in Russia.

Product of the Year: LEGO DUPLO Toolo line.

1993 The building of the GUM department store on Red Square in Moscow is decorated using LEGO constructors. The children's clothing brand LEGO Kid's Wear was launched.

1994 A subsidiary was opened in Mexico. The LEGO exhibition “Journey into Space” is open at the Space Center Houston (USA).

Products of the year: LEGO Belville and DUPLO playhouse lines.

1995 Gottfried Kirk Christiansen has died. Weekly LEGO TV programs are broadcast in Latvia and Lithuania. The company participates in exhibitions around the world.

Products of the year: LEGO DUPLO PRIMO, LEGO FreeStyle, LEGO SYSTEM Aquazone lines.

1996 The website www.lego.com was launched. The LEGO SYSTEM line (Time Cruisers, Western, Exploriens) is developing.

1997 The LEGO Imagineering Center opens in Disneyland, Florida, USA. The first LEGO MINDSTORMS learning center opens at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, USA. A major LEGO event in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow attracts more than 300 thousand participants, mostly children.

1998 In the LEGO universe, the slogan "Just Imagine..." appears. The company begins cooperation with the Danish publishing house Egmont Group to produce books for children.

1999 LEGO opens its own online store. Products of the Year: Star Wars and Winnie the Pooh and Friends lines.

LEGO bricks were named one of the "Products of the Century" by Fortune magazine.

year 2000. The British Toy Association calls LEGO the Toy of the Century. The LEGO Group begins to actively interact with major film studios: the LEGO Harry Potter line has been launched. In addition, LEGO collaborates with Steven Spielberg.

year 2001. LEGO My World wins a prestigious award for best software in Germany, and a robot from the LEGO Mindstorms line is launched from the International Space Station into Earth orbit.

Products of the year: LEGO BIONICLE and LEGO DUPLO dolls lines.

2002 LEGO brand stores open in Cologne (Germany), Milton Keynes (UK) and Moscow (Russia). LEGOLAND amusement park is also opening in Germany.

2003 The first film based on the BIONICLE line, “Mask of Light,” was a great success at the box office.

2004 Jørgen Vig Knudstorp has been appointed as the new CEO of the company. LEGO begins to collaborate with Ferrari and releases sets based on the world famous racing cars.

2005 year. LEGOLAND theme parks have been sold to Merlin Entertainments. www.lego.com allows you to design your own models and then buy the elements needed to build them online.

2006 www.lego.com has over 8 million unique monthly visitors. A new and significantly improved version of the LEGO robotics system has been launched. The board game Parcheesi appears.

2007 The LEGO Group is celebrating its 75th anniversary. The LEGO Club has approximately 2.5 million members. A licensing agreement was signed with Lucasfilm Inc., and the LEGO Indiana Jones line was launched soon.

2008 The signature LEGO brick is celebrating its 50th anniversary. A huge model of the Taj Mahal Palace has been created, consisting of 5922 elements. On this moment this is the largest LEGO-s
weapons

year 2009. The LEGO Group is recognized as the world's fifth largest toy manufacturer. In collaboration with Warner Bros. The world's first feature film based on LEGO bricks and men is being created. In the same year, multi-year partnerships with Disney and Pixar began.

Product of the Year: LEGO Games – Series board games, which can be played by the whole family.

2010 The first online LEGO Universe game has launched. The world's largest LEGO mosaic was created in London (dimensions 15.3 x 6.4 meters, consists of 384 thousand LEGO bricks).

Products of the year: Prince of Persia and Atlantis lines.

2011. LEGOLAND amusement park opened in Florida (USA). The LEGO Group is recognized as the world's third largest toy manufacturer.

Products of the year: LEGO Technic Unimog and LEGO Ninjago lines.

year 2012. Conducted organizational changes at the LEGO Group, aimed at the future growth of the company.

Product of the Year: New LEGO Friends line, aimed at girls aged 5 to 8 years old.

Official site: www.lego.com

Russian language site: www.lego.com/ru-ru

There is probably not a person in modern society who has not heard of Lego. And, if you ask a child about this, you will certainly hear the most incredible stories about construction space stations, pirate ships, racing cars, fire trucks, police stations and much more!

The Lego constructor is not just a game that develops hand motor skills in little ones and imagination in slightly older children. Lego is a whole world, once immersed in it, there is a natural desire to return to it again and again. By the way, among the fans of this wonderful game there are not only children, but also adults, quite serious people! There are even fan clubs that unite fans of the legendary designer from all over the world. In Prague, for example, there is even an entire Lego museum open, with an area of ​​340 square meters. The museum presents no less than two thousand exhibits! And in Denmark, the city of Billund, there is an entire city that is entirely built from Lego bricks - Legoland Park.

To whom do we owe for the invention of the toy of the century (and this famous designer has long been dubbed exactly that) and how long ago did the history of Lego begin? Let's talk about everything in order, because it is clear that the first Lego constructor was very different from the modern one. Of course: the prototype of the current designer, firstly, was wooden, and secondly, it, in fact, was not yet the same “Lego” that exists today. In addition, Lego continues to be improved to this day, creating new and more interesting games.

It all started in 1932, in the Danish town of Billund, where local carpenter Ole Kirk Christensen opened his woodworking factory. There, the master produced ladders and ironing boards, and, incidentally, toys from the remnants of production. Perhaps the latter circumstance was influenced by the fact that at the time of the founding of the factory, Ole Kirk’s beloved son was growing up. The factory workers were given the task of creating not just primitive wooden blocks, but toys that would develop children's imagination and creative abilities! And even though these were not some supernatural unimaginable games, but, for example, simple cubes from which one could build what one’s imagination allowed, their popularity in the area was gaining momentum every day.

Already in 1934, the creator of the educational game began to think about expanding his production. Wooden educational games began to be produced under the Lego brand. The name comes from the Danish words leg, which means game, and godt, which translates as pleasure. Simply put, the Lego brand produced (and still produces!) toys that are fun to play with! It’s surprising and even significant to some extent, but the creators of the brand didn’t even realize that the word lego translated from Latin means “I collect!”

In 1949, a new era began in the history of Lego toys - they began to be cast from plastic. And in 1951, more than two hundred types of toys were produced under this brand, including the prototype of the modern Lego constructor - cubes that could be connected to each other.

In 1958, the factory was headed by the son of the late Ole Kirk Christensen, Gottfred, and a part was patented - the main component of the first Lego constructor - a cube that has 8 protrusions on its surface and 8 indentations on the bottom.

The legendary brand has a rich history. One could probably write a whole book about the stages of its formation and development. Of course, this would be a “novel with a sequel.” The range of Lego products is expanding to this day, and the Lego designer is gaining, or more correctly, growing, new fans. Ole Kirk Christensen's idea of ​​creating games that develop imagination and creativity is still embodied in new collections of construction sets. And the work of the carpenter from Denmark is continued by people as dedicated to their work as he himself.

LEGO constructor - who doesn't know it? Blocks consisting of plastic elements covered with pimples have become not just an indispensable attribute in a set of children's toys, but even a part of world pop culture. With their help, they make characters from cult fairy tales, films - anything that brings joy and a smile. However, few people know the story of the LEGO manufacturer, which is connected with the tragedy.

Story

It all started when, at the beginning of the 20th century, Ole Christiansen was born the tenth child of poor farmers. He became a carpenter. If you have not heard anything before about the manufacturing country whose company produces LEGO, then most likely you will be interested to know that the company originates in Denmark, and its founder was Christiansen. In Billund he set up a carpentry workshop, specializing in particular in the production of stairs. But a crisis broke out. However, this was not enough for fate: this father of 4 children lost his wife - she died, and then his workshop burned down!

A widower, in order to calm the grief of his beloved children, carved a small duck out of wood for them - a simple toy. Not only the kids, but also other families really liked it. He decided to start making such toys and quickly gained popularity in the area.

It was 1932. Thanks to local success, the company got off the ground - he soon began planning the production of other toys so as not to fall out of the market. I decided to produce blocks from which children could build, in particular, castles and other structures.

Brand

In 1934, Christiansen changed the name of the toy company to "LEGO" - short for the Danish phrase "Leg godt" (have fun). So, we found out that the manufacturing country of LEGO is Denmark. The factory grew, and in the early 40s the owner's eldest son, Gottfred Christiansen, began working there. Things went so well that the family bought Denmark's first plastic injection machine and started making plastic toys in 1947.

And two years later it began producing the blocks we know today. Their design was significantly improved in 1958. The famous blocks were patented at the same time. The company enjoyed great success in Denmark and began to expand into foreign markets. And then another tragedy occurred - Ole Kirk Christiansen died of a heart attack. His son took over the company.

Tragic repeat

History likes to repeat itself. Two years after the death of the founder of the company, a fire started at the plant! This hastened the decision to stop making toys made of wood. But the products began to be exported, in particular, to the USA. And in 1968, the first Legoland was launched in Billund - an entertainment city built from construction kits. Another director of the company was the grandson of the founder, Keld, and in 2004, management was entrusted to an outsider. However, to this day the majority of shares remain in the hands of the founder's family. Therefore, when asked what manufacturing country is LEGO, people again answer that it is Denmark.

History of the name

The name "Lego" is an abbreviation of two Danish words. The company itself claims that this means “playing well.” This is their name and our goal.

Over the past 80 years, the company has undergone incredible development - from a small private firm to a modern global business that is today the third largest toy manufacturer.

Products

The small block is the company's most important product. Twice the product of the LEGO manufacturer received the title of “toy of the century.” The details have undergone major changes over the years, but the starting point is still the traditional brick.

The presence of many shades makes it unique. For those who come into contact with colorful elements, you just need to use your imagination and let your creativity flow.

The brick block is one of the best toys, and no one needs convincing of it. It has been known since ancient times that playing with them brings joy to children and develops them from the very beginning. early age. Building with blocks involves imagination, improves manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Fun little bricks let you create your own, unique world. This game is a real challenge and a great exercise in patience.

Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to create the design you want. Almost anyone who comes across these blocks wonders who invented LEGO, whose country of origin? The designer became popular thanks to an idea that everyone liked.

It should be noted that initially a small Danish enterprise managed to grow to the whole world. At the moment, sets from him have become the most popular gifts for Christmas and many other holidays. Almost every young person remembers from childhood how these brick blocks were scattered on the floor, and what it was like to step on them. In the manufacture of its product, the company managed to find a balance between preserving original traditions and introducing innovation. All this keeps her afloat for such a long time. The benefits that LEGO manufacturers bring to people are also obvious. Such toys develop children's imagination and allow them to realize their fantasies.

Product Variations

Thus, the history of the LEGO brand reaches its peak in the first half of the 20th century. The date when the company was founded is not the moment when the cubes that everyone knows today were created. The story of the LEGO manufacturer is actually much more complex and very interesting, and even inspiring. It is enough to get to know her better to understand this.

In numbers

In 2015, the LEGO manufacturer built a tower using these blocks in Milan. Its height reached 35.05 meters. This is the tallest fragmentary structure made of cubes.

The largest LEGO set consists of 5,900 pieces and is the famous Taj Mahal. The Indian temple is one and a half meters wide and 40 cm high. This kit used to cost about $300, but it has been out of production for a long time. In this regard, the complex now costs up to several thousand dollars. It is considered a rare and valuable item.

The LEGO manufacturer released the first figure in 1974. It looked different from the ones we know today. First of all, it was bigger. In turn, the first small part was created by the LEGO manufacturer in 1975. Mass production of little men began later.

LEGO Duplo, although eight times larger than a standard brick, is still compatible with it. One of the principles of the LEGO manufacturer is that all elements match.

Every second, 7 sets of this construction set are sold around the world; 40 billion LEGO bricks, stacked one on top of the other, could connect the Earth with the Moon.

Kinds

The country of origin of the LEGO set creates all the conditions for the development of the company. And she, in turn, constantly introduces innovations, never stopping in improvement. The range of LEGO themed sets is published in catalogs published every six months. There is also information about upcoming new products. In addition to sets with themed packages, new main blocks are being released different colors.

LEGO Duplo

LEGO Duplo is a building block made with little ones in mind. Children from one and a half to five years old can play with them. The upper age limit is arbitrary, since older children also enjoy building with Duplo. These bricks are larger than standard bricks, making them easier to use. Duplo sets are designed to encourage children to play and develop their imagination. LEGO Duplo for girls has more elements, which little ladies like, and the LEGO Duplo for boys contains more pieces related to their wishes.

LEGO City

LEGO City is a series for older children. It is based on city life. Buildings, cars, police, fire, hospital, railway, airport and even a space center - this and much more can be created from City sets. This series can be played by as young as four year olds.

LEGO Friends

LEGO Friends are sets aimed at girls. They have animals, houses, cafes, a riding club, and the town of Heartlake City. Girls can create the world they dream of with five LEGO Friends heroines.

LEGO Ninjago

LEGO Ninjago is a toy for boys. The theme of this series is ninjas and their enemies. Dragons, fortresses, pirate airships and various items needed for serious battles, limited only by children's imagination, appear.

LEGO Creator

LEGO Creator is a line of Lego sets based on building, but rather on creating what a girl or boy dreams of. You can build a Ferrari 10248, a winter toy store, a Ferris wheel, or the most famous buildings in the world. The LEGO manufacturer made sure that the details were bright. The sets are designed in such a way that three different things can be made from the same cubes.

LEGO Technic

LEGO Technic is a real challenge for design engineers and young craftsmen. Kits from this line, like all others, have instructions for use included, but require a little technical experience. The cars in this series are very precisely made, they have working steering systems and a lot of parts. There are so many of them that the final result of the game exceeds expectations.

The LEGO brand keeps up with the times. Therefore, in addition to the classic brick block sets, Lego series based on films and fairy tales are also appearing. Thus, LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Angry Birds have already been released.

The company's history is the clearest evidence that it cares about its customers. Her priority is to make sure that everyone can find something for themselves. Fans of medieval castles, space expeditions, architecture, fans of racing cars, little princesses and great pirates - each of them will be able to create their own world from LEGO bricks. That's why these sets have become so popular.

Groups LEGO begins in 1932. However, the LEGO brick as we know it today did not exist until 1958. This year's simple, durable and colorful LEGO brick design is perfect for a children's toy. The plastic bricks are part of an interlocking system that has just the right amount of fastenings: the bricks hold together well but can be easily pulled apart by a child. And the consistency of bricks from different sets was a key feature of the toy. Bricks produced today can be matched to those produced back in 1958.
The rise in popularity of LEGO bricks can be attributed to how much a child uses their imagination to create something from LEGO bricks. The bricks are so versatile that the LEGO Group estimates that just six bricks with eight studs can be arranged in 915,103,765 different combinations.

Production

Today, LEGO bricks are produced primarily in a factory at the company's headquarters in Denmark. The bricks are so carefully crafted that the company claims that for every 1 million pieces, only 18 will be declared defective and removed from the set. Impressive numbers considering the LEGO Group produces 15 billion components per year - that's 1.7 million pieces per hour or 28,500 per minute. Some of that number comes from rubber tires, and the plant also produces 306 million tiny rubber tires a year. In fact, based on this number, LEGO is the #1 tire manufacturer in the world.

After the original bricks were invented, Christiansen's son and LEGO group heir, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, developed LEGO DUPLO in the late 1960s for children younger age who are having trouble using the original tiny LEGO bricks. DUPLO bricks are larger in height and width than classic bricks and are easier for small hands to handle.
History of Lego creation
The next chapter in the history of the LEGO group was the creation of the LEGO figure in 1974. The little yellow figures added another dimension to the game, allowing children to role-play and create personalities for their LEGO characters. To date, 4 billion LEGO figures have been produced, featuring countless masks, from basketball players to characters Star Wars"and pirates.

History of Lego creation
LEGO sets may seem too low-tech for today's kids, but the LEGO Group continues to keep its brand at the forefront by keeping up with major play trends. In 2004, the company launched LEGOfactory.com, where anyone can download LEGO Digital Designer and build their own LEGO model. After that, you can either save it to the gallery or buy the necessary items and send it to your home to build it in real life.

LEGO also has a licensing deal with publisher LucasArts to create video games that have become extremely popular. The most recent video game, LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, was the best-selling game. Developed on eight different gaming platforms, the game sold $1.1 million in its first week of release and continues to be a bestseller. LEGO also launched the high-tech LEGO Mindstorms NXT for kids over 10 years of age this holiday season, allowing them to build their own motorized robots.

History of Lego creation
Whatever the future of LEGO, colorful bricks will always be a hallmark of the company.