Australian_House_&_Garden_2016_12

H GINSIDER

86 | AUSTRALIAN HOUSE&GARDEN

Lego made its

early bricks from

celllose acetate,

switching to ABS

plastic in the ’60s.

A

ugust 19 6 2 and British sales

repJohn Peddie arrived in

Australia with samples of a

plastic construction toyalreadywell

established in the UK and Europe. His

mission: to build firm foundations in a

vastlydifferent market.

Major Australian retailers knew about

Lego, but it was a challenge introducing

it to smaller sellers. “They thought

Australian families were more interested

in outdoor gifts forChristmas, like

cricket bats,” said Peddie. “Once it was

in stores,however,parents loved the

endless play options. It grew quickly.”

The Lego legend began in 1932, when

Danish carpenterOle Kirk Christiansen

(above)began making stools, ironing

boards, stepladders and wooden toys.

While theDepressiondraineddemand

for household products, toys were less

affected,so he focused on them.

Two years later,Ole devised the name

Lego for the company, a play on the

Danishleggodt(playwell).Prophetically,

it also means‘I put together’in Latin.

While these early toys were simple

pieces, they became the building blocks

for aglobal success story.

WhenOle and his son Godtfred

moved into plastic toys in the 1940s,

they invested in a moulding machine. By

chance, the supplier showed them some

studded, self-locking blocks from a UK

firm. In 1949 they released their own

version,labelled Automatic Binding

Bricks.Ole said,“Ifwe do this right, we

can sell these allover the world.”

LEGO

In1955 they lauunched

aLego-branded version,

billed as a ‘systemmof

play’. Itwas baseddon the

idea that the more bricks you bought, the

more you couldbuild. Hollow tubes were

added tothe undersideof the bricks in

1958 , creating the familiar interlocking

studs-and-tubes format. This enhanced

the stabilityof constructions and allowed

buddingbuilders to reach for the rafters.

Lego reinvented the wheel in 19 6 2, so

keen constructors could create vehicles,

too. Plastic people withmovable joints,

known as minifigures, introduced a

role-play element in 197 8. LegoSpace

andCastle building kits were launched

the same year, while 1997 brought the

firm’s first computer game, LegoIsland.

In 2000,Fortunemagazine and the

British Association ofTo yRetailers both

chose Lego as the Toy of theCentury,

edging out other childhood favourites

suchas Barbie and the teddy bear.

Whysuch monumental success for

ahumble plastic brick?“Children are

natural, intuitive learners who experience

the world through play,” saysOle’s

grandson and current Lego owner, Kjeld

Kirk Kristiansen.“We’ve stayed true to

these core values: imagination, creativity,

fun, learning, caringand quality.”

WHAT IT MEANS TOUS

Last year, 72billion Lego elements,

including 725 million minifigures, were

sold in more than 140 countries, says

CEOJørgen VigKnudstorp. Legonow

spans media platforms: 2014 saw the

release ofThe Lego Movie,whileLego

Nexo Knightsfuses real and digital

worlds withanimated TV content,

physical bricks and a gaming app. And

it’s not all child’s play; members of

groups such as Adult Friends ofLego are

erecting cities and spaceships in living

rooms and sheds around the globe.#

Design moment

1949

The rattling gift under Australian

Christmas trees in 1 9 62 would

become a toy for the ages, and

for all ages, writesChris Pearson.

JohnPeddie

pitched this 700-3

boxed set tolocal

retailers.

1962

2012

Aspaceman and

other minifigres

added to thefn,

as did modlar

torsos and

headpieces.

1978

With 29 00 +

pieces, the

Opera Hose set

marked the iconic

bilding’s 4 0 th

celebration.

1997

Action-adventre

game Lego Island,

the brand’s first

software release.

Photo

graphy courtesy of Le

go

.