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Subject: 
Re: Color change: Let's go straight to the CEO!
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.color, lugnet.lego, lugnet.general
Date: 
Sun, 28 Nov 2004 08:38:51 GMT
Viewed: 
114 times
  
In lugnet.color, Walter Walters wrote:
   About a year has passed since we learned of TLG’s terrible decision to “improve” the gray, dark gray, and brown colors. Our initial (and ongoing) firestorm was unsuccessful at reversing the change, and with Jake’s recent “locked-color” post http://news.lugnet.com/lego/?n=2605, the window of opportunity certainly now seems closed.

But I think we have a unique final opportunity afforded by the recent installation of a new CEO at TLG. The new CEO, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, is only ~35 years old! As others here have pointed out, he, like many of us AFOLs, was a kid/teen during the (heavily gray) classic-space and classic-castle eras.

Suppose we, the AFOL community, could get a well-written letter to him directly. The color change could potentially be reversed with this one, well-placed, shot! It may be a long shot, but it is one of our few remaining hopes, and it actually stands a reasonable chance of success.

TLG’s emphasis since the introduction of the brick has been on the system of play. Changing a 20-year-old core color is inconsistent with this focus. For this, as well as a host of other reasons discussed here at length, most of us would agree that the color change decision was a poor one. (Even for those who are accepting/indifferent, would anyone here be greatly upset by the change-back? I doubt it.)

Mr. Knudstorp may not even be aware that the color change has occurred, or why the change was so upsetting to the AFOL community. In fact, he may not yet even know that the AFOL community exists at all. This letter could serve a variety of useful purposes.

Hardly anyone on this planet is truly unreachable. I am convinced that we could get a well-worded, respectful letter into Mr. Knudstorp’s hands. It would be even better if we could attach a petition to it, with several dozen or maybe 50 names. Unfortunately, I honestly do not have the time to organize this endeavor and synthesize the letter.

I put this message out as a plea to the AFOL community. Can someone here take up the cause? I truly believe it could work.

I know from my own experiences in life, from dealing with everyone from insurance agent to cell-phone reps: Sometimes, the only way to get them to do the “right thing” (or even the thing they promised to do) is to speak to the manager’s manager’s manager, someone who is more concerned about the bigger picture and less about the details. Certainly it cost TLG money to make the switch, and it will certainly cost them money to make the switch back. Although I personally believe TLG’s bottom line would benefit by switching back, it is not obviously certain. But it is more certain that changing a 20-year-old core color goes against the principles that TLG stands for. “Only the best is good enough.” Which is best, the (supposedly) best color or the best system? There is a reasonable chance that Mr. Knudstorp would choose to maintain the integrity of the system. And as many here have said, this one (relatively simple?) act, more than anything else that TLG could ever possibly do, would show without a doubt that TLG is aware of and is responsive to the concerns of the AFOL community; it would certainly win many of our hearts back.

Let’s do this; let’s write this letter, get some signatures, and get the letter into Mr. Knudstorp’s hands. Who is willing to help? This may be our last chance, but it’s in fact a good chance!

-Walter

Help me Obi Wan Kenobi(s) ... you’re our only hope.

Hi there, I understand this situation... love it or hate it... the colours I’d like changed back, light/dark grey and brown, also minifigs to be as they are known and loved ‘yellow’. For me that represented something different, no-one is yellow skinned unless they have jaundice (no-one in the human world are also that pink), but in the minifig world, it doesn’t matter, it makes them unique and doesn’t have to comply with racial differences like our own world does... This is what we love about them, they are their own!

As far as a petition goes, since this is a world wide site and we can’t just rock on up a few doors up to everyone in the community to sign something, would the following idea be acceptable?:

One main person to collate the following info, print them out and send them off to whoever would listen.

Everyone interested sends their details to someone who is nominated/selected/commited etc into collating all the information needed and asked for and sent to them by a certain date, the following info could be asked: ‘N.A.C.E.Y.’ ;)
  • Name
  • Age group
  • Colours wanted changed/brought back etc
  • Email address
  • Your Country
If everyone joined in and sent their details off (without over bearing the poor person who collates it), this would/could provide valuable info too (maybe?). It would show who they are, what age range they are dealing with, the colours that ‘bother’ them so they have an idea, their email address to help verify a genuine vote and the country they come from to show the company that it’s a world-wide issue.

But this would be much easier, if dealt with correctly than getting everyone together in person (or maybe it could be done in person too and those who can’t attend could send their details in).

For example here is mine:

  • Name: Melody Caddick
  • Age group: 20-30
  • Colours wanted changed/brought back etc: bought back: original Brown/Lgt Grey/Dk Grey and minifigs back to original Yellow
  • Email address: legomel@yahoo.com.au
  • Your Country: Australia
If privacy isn’t an issue, maybe they could be published (with or without certain details or used as a statistic chart to show interest of submitters) on the net for us to see the outcome of what people really want.

Just a suggestion since it’s hard for some countries like ourselves here in Australia to get together like some of you guys can (I am sure this is true for many places/people elsewhere too).

Best of luck

Mel


P.S. I don’t have a huge amount of time to read all posts so I am sorry if I have missed something or read something the wrong way...



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Color change: Let's go straight to the CEO!
 
(...) Actually, The yellow minifig is not dead. I recall Jake mentioning at a Brickfest convention that the flesh-colored minifigs are only done when there's a likeness to a person, either in real-life or as an actor/person in a licensed product. (...) (20 years ago, 29-Nov-04, to lugnet.color, lugnet.lego, lugnet.general, FTX)

Message is in Reply To:
  Color change: Let's go straight to the CEO!
 
About a year has passed since we learned of TLG's terrible decision to "improve" the gray, dark gray, and brown colors. Our initial (and ongoing) firestorm was unsuccessful at reversing the change, and with Jake's recent "locked-color" post (URL), (...) (20 years ago, 25-Nov-04, to lugnet.color, lugnet.lego, lugnet.general, FTX) !! 

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