Brand history:

The Lego group began as a carpentry workshop by Ole Kirk in Denmark. The workshop mostly
produced wooden furniture and helped construct houses. When the workshop burnt down in 1924
most of the products were destroyed and Ole Kirk could only concentrate on smaller projects. The
miniature models that he created inspired him to create toys. In 1932 there were various of toys such
as wooden toys, cars, truck, houses etc. however the business didnt provide much profit because of
the Great Depression. Farmers would trade the toys with food; He continued to produce toys so he
could stay in business.
but began building plastic bricks in 1947.
During the first stages of Lego bricks, they didnt have any plastic tubes at the bottom so the bricks
couldnt stick together.
During the 1950s plastic products were not received very well and many of the shipments were
returned because customers preferred wooden or metal toys.
In 1958 Lego improved by inputting hollow tubes underneath the bricks so the bricks could lock
together.
In 1960 most of the wooden toys were destroyed in a fire but it was thought that the plastic Lego
bricks were strong enough to provide most of the profit.
In 1961 Lego wished to expand to North America and began producing and selling Lego in the US and
Canada.
1961-1962 they expanded to vehicles and had a potential for building cars, trucks, buses etc. from
Lego bricks. During this time they also specifically targeted towards the preschool market.
1963 Lego changed the plastic that they were using for the Lego to a non-toxic, less prone to
discolouration or warping. It is more resistant.
1964, Lego launched their products with instruction manuals.
From 1970-1991 Lego tried to expand their audience.
1971: Expanded their toys to aim at young girls, with dollhouses etc.
1974: Launched family sets to aim at a wider age range of audiences. People with families.
Lego is also used by teachers since Lego was seen as toys that could allow problem solving and
creative thinking.
1994-2000 there was a decline in profit and sales.
In 1999, they began to make Lego based off movies or licensed characters such as Star Wars, Winnie
the Pooh etc.
Unique selling point: Construction toys for children, encourages active thinking and building from
childs imagination.
Tagline/Slogan: Its what you make it.
Target group: Family/parents of middle/upper class. Secondary audience children between 3-15.
Strengths:
Lego incorporates educational features to help boost childrens key skills.
Strong brand name, very popular worldwide.
Encourages active thinking and problem solving, active play.
Strong product portfolio, many successful toy sets.
Lego theme parks are popular to tourists.
Lego has also expanded to video games, movies, merchandise etc.
Weaknesses:
Imitation of products and brand names

Intense competition means that they are expanding and switching to different types of medias (Lego
video games etc.). This means that they are losing their purpose as Lego was suppose to only be toy
plastic bricks.
Opportunity:
Organise events/competitions in schools
Diversify more into other segments
More branding exercises to reach out to newer segments

Threats:
Video games
Cartoon channels
Internet
Outdoor games
Other similar companies
Competitors:
Automoblox
Meccano
VTech
Leapfrog

ASA/OFCOM:
http://www.cap.org.uk/Advice-Training-on-the-rules/Advice-Online-Database/Alcohol-The-use-ofcartoons-animals-and-characters.aspx#.VLWgktKsV8E
http://www.cap.org.uk/~/media/Files/CAP/Reports%20and%20surveys/CAP%20Review%20brand
%20ambassadors%20and%20peer%20to%20peer.ashx
Specifications indicating that marketing communications should not appeal particularly to under 18s
and should not use real/fictional people who are likely to encourage under 18s to drink. Marketers
should be careful to use toys or toy brands that are familiar to children.
The fact that the child
had expressed some endorsement of the brand was then made known to the childs
friendship group.

Complaints: http://www.dailylife.com.au/dl-people/celebrity-news/seven-yearold-girl-writes-letter-ofcomplaint-to-lego-about-the-lack-of-girl-options-20140203-31vw3.html
Lack of female Lego sets
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/lego-sexism-complaints-female-scientist-figurines-criticised-hour-glassshape-make-1459938
Response to the lack of female Lego sets, however feminists criticise the make-up and hourglass
figure of the female Legos.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/01/lego-withdraws-star-wars-model-after-anti-muslimcomplaints_n_2991081.html

Lego withdraws and stops the production of the Star Wars set, The Jabbas Palace model as the
Turkish community complained that it looked like Istanbul's Hagia Sofia mosque.

Book research:
Remember when- Robert Opie
Page 167
In Denmark in the 1930s Lego made wooden toys such as pull-along ducks on wheels. Plastic toys
followed in 1947 and plastic bricks in 1955, but it was Legos stud-and-tube coupling system of 1958
that made the firm successful.

Advertisements:
1982- LEGO Classic Space:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMZkka0ddGw
Audience: Specifically young boys. The price of the set was 1.00 to 24.95
This shows that a less fortunate family could also afford a Lego set.
The full set would cost more (24.95) and only wealthy families could afford it.
Targets a diverse range of S.O.C
Secondary audience: Parents. The price included at the end is aimed towards the parents to see if
they could afford it for their children.
UK citizens, aired in the UK

Persuasive strategies:
-Personal success: Male children would want this Lego set because theyd want to play with it. Makes
them happier
-Maternal/paternal love: Would want to buy toys for their children to make them happy
-Pride: Having a Lego set would seem very exclusive, especially if it was the 24.95 set as it is very
expensive

2014- Lets build:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwQqkX3qZak
Audience: Family. They use a father and son in the advertisement to appeal to the audience with
family bond, rather than appealing to children with toys.
Persuasive strategies:
-Humour
-Maternal/paternal love: Theyd want to use Lego as a bond between their children
-Personal success: Playing with Lego would make you feel happier
1980- Kipper:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9VlvqqHPts
Audience: Children, specifically from the ages of 4-10
Mainly aimed at young boys(?) Use of he and male voice overs
Persuasive strategies:

-Humour: Use Lego bricks to build various objects as a joke to match with the voice over
-Personal success: Using these Legos to play and build would make the children happier

Primary audience:
The primary audience for each of the advertisements are families with children around the ages of 315 of middle and upper class. Due to the absence of black children in the advertisements the ideal
audience would be white children/white family.
C- Middle/Upper class
A- Any age parents, perhaps specifically over late 20s (Advert- Lets build specifically shows a family
[Father and son] bonding together by playing Lego, uses maternal/paternal love.)
R- No specific religions, all or no religion(s)
G- Specifically the male population (All of the advertisements feature a male: The Classic Space Set
has a young boy playing with the Lego set, Lets build shows a father and a son rather than a mother
and/or a daughter, Kipper uses a male voice over throughout the advert
E- Primarily White UK citizens, absence of other ethnicities
L- Adverts aired in the UK, UK citizens
Megablocks vs Lego
Megablocks:
4/7 people preferred Megablocks
More feminine set (For female audience)
There were more blocks
More shapes to the set not just single blocks
The blocks feel more lighter
Lego:
3/7 people preferred Lego
The original blocks
More creativeness, theres no limit to imagination whereas the Megablock set were themed
More dense
Easier to attach and dismantle them
Brighter colours

Teachers comments, targets and

suggestions:

Date Students
comments,
targets and
suggestions

Dat
e

Great work Rachel, some really good research here.

I would write up the history of the brand, find out how they
have changed over time and developed as a paragraph so
that you then summarise this information for your
presentation. At the moment its a little to copy and paste,
just write underneath it
You have started to analyse three adverts, and would look
at the others and state audience and strategies without
specific explanation because this will help make the
primary audience write up easier. A good screengrab from
an advert is good to help explain your points further. In
your primary audience write up do not be presumptuous in
your analysis, base it on evidence which you must provide
as part of the research strand 2 communication strand 1
as well as being the evidence for advertising strand 2.
You missing detail in your SWOT analysis, 4 points per
area based on research, using specific examples to
exemplify your point - this is currently good for the
presentation because it reads more as a summary.
Your competition is missing also, you need information
about the similarities and differences between your
product and another, what is Lego's USP? Use your
primary research to help with this.
Really impressed though well done.

16/0
1/20
15