|
|
| |
taken from:
http://www.lego.com/info/pressspecific.asp?PressReleaseId=172&Year=2001
LEGO Media International launches first television programme at MIPTV 2001
LEGO Media International (LMI), the new TV and film division of the world-
renowned children’s brand, today premieres its first ever programme, Little
Robots, at the MIPTV 2001 programme market in Cannes.
Monday, April 2 2001 Little Robots is a brand new pre-school animation programme
based on the acclaimed children’s book by Mike Brownlow, published by Ragged
Bears Publishing Ltd. The pilot show has been produced for LMI by award-winning
animation house Cosgrove Hall Films, whose credits include Danger Mouse, Count
Duckula, Noddy and the new Bill & Ben. Written by top UK children’s TV writers
and voiced by leading comedy actors (Lenny Henry, Su Pollard, Darren Boyd and
Jimmy Hibbert), the programme uses an innovative technique which combines model
animation with CGI backgrounds and effects. LMI aims to produce 26 x 10’
episodes for transmission in the autumn of 2002.
The story The story focuses on Tiny Robot and his little friends, who are
pioneers and architects of a brand new world. They have been abandoned on a
scrapheap by the ‘real’ world – but, using the toolkit inside his head, Tiny
sets about repairing his friends, and together they build a magical world of
their own inside the scrapheap. Using their skill and imagination, they turn
what we throw out – nuts and bolts, metal and rubber - into homes, trees and
flowers…… and even their own sun, moon and stars.
Little Robots has been executive produced for LMI by Vanessa Chapman, Controller
of Programming & Strategy, and Michael Carrington, Head of Acquisitions & Co-
productions. Vanessa is a former Controller of Children’s Programming at ITV and
Michael joined LMI from the BBC's Children’s Department, where he was Deputy
Head of Acquisitions & Animation.
“When we saw the book, both Michael and I leapt upon it and knew that we just
had to turn it into LEGO Media’s first TV programme,” said Vanessa Chapman. “It
looked so different from anything else we’d ever seen in the market place for
this age group. It’s cool and retro in design, the characters are quirky and
fantastical and their world is weird and wonderful. Our Little Robots are
picking up from where The Magic Roundabout and The Clangers left off.”
Unveiling the programme at an exclusive launch event held in the futuristic
South of France home of fashion designer Pierre Cardin, Conny Kalcher, Global
Vice President, Children’s TV Programming & Film for LMI, said, “Little Robots
has all the ingredients to become a global children’s classic – charming
characters, a great story, a new look and a lot of heart. The Little Robots
represent big ideas. We’ve had ‘Girl Power’ – this is ‘Little Robot Power’!”
For further information:
Eva Lykkegaard
LEGO Company Global Company Communications
+45 79 50 74 24
or
Graham Drew
Shine Communications for LMI
+44 (0)20 7553 3333 +44 (0)7866
628635 (mobile)
This page was updated on April 2nd, 2001
|
|
| |
taken from:
http://www.lego.com/info/pressspecific.asp?PressReleaseId=174&Year=2001
Kids create movies with Pinnacle System and LEGO Company
Studio Action - a Fun and Educational Video Editing Product for Kids
Mountain View, Calif. March 5. The newly launched educational video editing
package for kids - Studio Action - includes the new LEGO® Studios software and a
special version of Pinnacle Systems’ Studio video editing software. The package
is jointly developed by the LEGO Company and Pinnacle Systems. Studio Action
combines the child-friendly LEGO Studios video editing software with a USB video
cable. Kids can use Studio Action with any camcorder to make movies of their
family, friends and toys.
With the LEGO Studios software, children can arrange their movie clips in any
order and shorten scenes to include only the parts they want in the final movie.
The software also makes it easy for kids to add titles and credits, sound
effects ranging from the roar of an angry T-Rex to the meow of a kitten,
transitions, background music, and additional fun effects such as a snowstorm,
rain, or night vision. Once the movie creation is finished, it can be e-mailed
to friends, posted on the Internet, or shown on a computer.
“Kids today are the first video generation, raised with video as a means of
every day communication,” says Bill Loesch, vice president of marketing and
technology of Pinnacle System’s Personal Web Video Division. “We’ve added Studio
Action to our Studio consumer line of video editing products in response to
parents’ interest in giving their kids a fun and educational video editing tool
that lets them express their creativity and enables them to communicate via
video,” Loesch added.
The LEGO Studios software is the video editing software included in Pinnacle
Systems’ Studio Action and in the LEGO & Steven Spielberg MovieMaker Set, which
was first introduced in November 2000 (in the U.S.). Pinnacle Systems’ Studio
Action includes the video editing software and a USB video capture cable that
can be used with a camcorder. The LEGO & Steven Spielberg MovieMaker Set is a
LEGO Company product and includes the editing software, more than 400 LEGO
elements, a PC movie camera for making movies and a book of tips and tricks.
“The Studio Action product allows users to translate their camcorder footage to
the computer. We’re thrilled that they now have the ability to use the LEGO
Studios software to edit their movies,” said Steen W. Reves, Global Brand
Director for the LEGO Company. “Kids can now film LEGO movies with their
camcorders and edit their footage using Pinnacle Systems’ and the LEGO Company’s
kid-friendly software.”
For more information please contact:
Sharna Brockett 650.237.1637 sbrockett@pinnaclesys.com Sales: 888.484.3366
Investor Relations: ir@pinnaclesys.com
About Studio Action:
Studio Action works with any analog or digital camcorder and comes with a USB
video cable. Studio Action is available in computer stores for a suggested
retail price of $69.99.
About the LEGO Company
The LEGO Company, a privately held firm based in Billund, Denmark. It is
committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities,
and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole
Kirk Christiansen: "Only the best is good enough." For more information, visit
www.LEGO.com. All of Steven Spielberg’s proceeds from the LEGO & Steven
Spielberg MovieMaker Set are donated to the Starbright Foundation and Shoah
Foundation.
About Pinnacle Systems, Inc.
Pinnacle Systems’ broadcast, desktop, and consumer products provide video
professionals and consumers the sophisticated tools needed to create dazzling
video programs faster and more affordably than ever before. Pinnacle Systems may
be reached at (650) 526-1600 or on the World Wide Web at www.pinnaclesys.com
This page was updated on March 5th, 2001
|
|
| |
From:
http://www.lego.com/info/pressspecific.asp?PressReleaseId=170&Year=2001
LEGO Company Teams With Skateboarding Pro Andy Macdonald
Company Aligns with Professional Skateboarder to Promote New Line of Action
Heroes for Kids
New York. February 13, 2001
LEGO Systems, Inc., the division of the LEGO Company that serves the Americas,
today announces a partnership with Andy Macdonald, six-time X-Games
skateboarding gold-medallist and five-time World Cup Skateboarding overall
points champion. The company has signed Macdonald for a one-year sponsorship to
promote its new line of Bionicle action heroes, which will be unveiled during
this week’s American International Toy Fair.
As part of the agreement, Macdonald will make special guest appearances at
several Bionicle events planned for 2001, in addition to wearing the Bionicle
logo and icon on the deck of his board and participating in Bionicle promotions
at select skateboarding events. LEGO Company also may use Macdonald’s likeness
in promotional materials and premiums.
“I’m psyched to be riding for the LEGO Company,” says Andy Macdonald. “I’ve been
a fan of LEGO since I was a kid and my whole bedroom floor was covered with a
LEGO town.”
Leading the LEGO Company’s 2001 product assortment, Bionicle is a line of action
heroes in the company’s LEGO® TECHNIC® category. A departure for the company,
the new Bionicle line features quick-build, collectible items based on a richly
detailed and intriguing story line. Bionicle will launch in the Americas this
summer, with additional items representing the action heroes’ foes following in
early fall.
“Bionicle is unlike anything we’ve done before,” says Eric Wolfe, director of
marketing for LEGO Systems. “With that in mind, we’ve created an aggressive
marketing program for the products that is equally unique. Having Andy on board
with us on the Bionicle project is a perfect fit – he’s a leader in his sport,
he’s cutting-edge and he’s all about creative expression, qualities we value in
the LEGO brand name as well.”
The story of Bionicle takes place on the island of Mata Nui, where the evil
Makuta rules and times are dark. A legend says that six heroes will come to
restore peace. One day, six canisters drift ashore, each containing one of the
six mighty Toa. The legendary Toa have arrived, but to defeat the evil Makuta,
the Toa must find the Kanohi, or great Masks of Power. Many dangers await them
before they can find the power to fulfill their destiny and free the island and
its inhabitants from evil.
For more information, visit www.bionicle.com
Media Contact
Michael McNally
LEGO Company
Tel: 860-763-7825
Pgr: 888-502-5741
Andy Macdonald's laundry list of accomplishments has cemented his position as
one of the top professional skateboarders in the world. Six X-Games gold medals,
a first-place finish at the 2000 Gravity Games, a Guinness World Record, five
World Cup Skateboarding overall points championships, a U.S. postage stamp
modeled after his likeness, a policy-related appearance and speech at the White
House with former President Bill Clinton, and spokesperson for The Partnership
for a Drug-Free America and ONDCP. At only twenty-seven years of age, Andy
(a.k.a. Andy Mac) is a multidiscipline athlete, who in the last four years is
the only professional skateboarder to rank in the world’s top ten in both street
and vert competitions. Andy’s unique style and determination have made him one
of the most popular athletes in skateboarding today.
LEGO Systems, Inc. (LSI) is the Americas (North America and Latin America)
division of the LEGO Company, a privately-held firm based in Billund, Denmark.
The LEGO Company employs more than 1,500 people in the Americas –
approximately one half of whom work at LSI’s 203-acre headquarters in
Enfield, Connecticut. The LEGO Company is committed to the development of
children's creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by
the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: "Only the
best is good enough." For more information, visit www.LEGO.com.
This page was updated on the 26th of February 2001
|
|
| |
from :http://www.lego.com/info/pressspecific.asp?PressReleaseId=171&Year=2001
LEGO Company announces poor performance in year 2000
Billund, Denmark -- The LEGO Company today announces it ran a deficit of about
DKK 1 billion in year 2000. "Financially, the past year was extremely
disappointing," says Poul Plougmann, Executive Vice President and COO of the
LEGO Company. "But we know what went wrong and we know what to do about it."
The year 2000 was a very difficult year for the entire toy industry. But despite
many strengths and high points, the LEGO Company was affected "because we lost
focus," Plougmann said.
"We will refocus on our core business, which is materials for open-ended play
for children," he said. "That is what the brand is about -- stimulating
imagination, creativity and learning -- and it is what children and parents
expect from us. We will continue to expand within this area, applying a growth
strategy with a huge potential and lower risk."
Plougmann said all indicators point to a profitable year 2001 for the privately
owned LEGO Company. "The LEGO brand is as strong as ever," he said.
For more information, please contact:
Eva Lykkegaard
LEGO Company
Phone: +45 79 50 74 24
This page was updated on the 1st March 2001
|
|
| |
Taken from:
http://www.lego.com/info/pressspecific.asp?PressReleaseId=169&Year=2001
New LEGO Toys Based on Jurassic Park III
The LEGO Company and Universal Studios Consumer Products Group Announce New Toys
Based on Jurassic Park III
--Kids Bring Jurassic Park III Action to Life with LEGO® & Steven Spielberg
MovieMaker Set--
The LEGO Company, makers of the world’s best-selling construction toys and
Universal Studios Consumer Products Group (USCPG), have joined forces to launch
two Jurassic Park-themed LEGO® products in conjunction with the release of
Jurassic Park III.
The three-year agreement marks the fifth property licensed by the LEGO Company.
It gives the LEGO Company rights to produce two construction toys based on
Universal Pictures’ and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic Park III, the third
installment in the studio’s most successful film franchise ever scheduled for
release on July 18, 2001.
The two new LEGO Jurassic Park III products will be part of the LEGO Studios
line, which was launched in November 2000. Using the marquis set within the line
– the LEGO & Steven Spielberg MovieMaker Set, which includes a PC movie camera,
kid-friendly editing software and LEGO elements – young filmmakers will be able
to re-create their favorite scenes from Jurassic Park III.
Children ages 8 and up can bring to life the menacing Spinosaurus dinosaur
featured in the movie as he attacks a plane in a tree, which can also be built
into a boat. The set includes one cameraman, a pilot mini-figure and a crane
(suggested retail $34.99 US).
The second set includes unique elements allowing youngsters to build two Raptors
and one Pteranodon dinosaur. This set comes complete with three mini-figures,
including male and female “actors” and one cameraman (suggested retail price
$19.99 US). The sets are expected to be on store shelves in May prior to the
release of the film.
“Joining the Jurassic Park franchise with the LEGO Company’s innovative Steven
Spielberg MovieMaker Set is the perfect match,” stated Bruno Maglione, managing
director, Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, Europe. “It brings two
favorites together for kids of all ages.”
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Universal Studios to produce sets based on
the upcoming Jurassic Park III film,” said Poul Schou, vice president of
marketing, LEGO Systems, Inc. “Kids have been using the LEGO & Steven Spielberg
MovieMaker Set to create their own movies. With the two new Jurassic Park-themed
sets, they can bring the action home and re-create their favorite scenes.”
Jurassic Park III continues the series begun with 1993’s Jurassic Park and its
1997 sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park. This time, acclaimed filmmaker Joe
Johnston (October Sky, Jumanji) directs, with Kathleen Kennedy and Larry Franco
producing. Steven Spielberg serves as executive producer.
The strong cast includes Sam Neill, returning in the role of Dr. Alan Grant,
which he originated in Jurassic Park, William H. Macy (Fargo), Tea Leoni (The
Family Man), Alessandro Nivola (Love’s Labour Lost), Michael Jeter (The Green
Mile) and Trevor Morgan (The Patriot).
The screenplay was written by Peter Buchman, based on characters created by
Michael Crichton. Academy-Award® winner Stan Winston and the Oscar?-winning
wizards at Industrial Light & Magic are once again responsible for creating the
visual effects, with new and even more astonishing dinosaurs in store for
audiences this summer.
The Jurassic Park franchise has already enjoyed more than $250 million in
promotional support and $2.5 billion in worldwide consumer product sales,
establishing Jurassic Park as the “premier” and “authentic” dinosaur brand the
world over.
LEGO Company
LEGO Systems, Inc. (LSI) is the Americas (North America and Latin America)
division of the LEGO Company, a privately-held firm based in Billund, Denmark.
The LEGO Company employs nearly 2,000 people in the Americas – approximately one
half of whom work at LSI’s 203-acre headquarters in Enfield, Connecticut. The
LEGO Company is committed to the development of children's creative and
imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the
1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: "Only the best is good enough." All of
Steven Spielberg’s proceeds from the LEGO & Steven Spielberg MovieMaker Set are
donated to the Starbright Foundation and Shoah Foundation.
Jurassic Park III is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios and Amblin
Entertainment, Inc. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing, Inc. All rights
reserved. Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is a unit of Universal
Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com), a part of CANAL+, the TV and Film
division of Vivendi Universal, a new global leader in media and communications.
For further information please contact:
Shannon Hartnett
LEGO Company
Tel: 860-763-6758
Debra Jackman
USCPG
Tel: 818-777-3188
Billund, 2001
This page was updated on February 5th, 2001
|
|
| |
LEGO Company to Produce Two Software Titles based on the World of Harry Potter
LEGO Media International, the division of the LEGO Company that publishes new
media products for children ages two to 16, and Warner Bros. Consumer Products
today announced a partnership to publish two children’s software titles based on
the magical world of the Harry Potter.
The two interactive software titles will be part of the LEGO Company’s best-
selling LEGO Creator™ series of CD-ROM software titles, which has won numerous
international awards since the first title was launched in 1998.
“The magical world of Harry Potter is interwoven with fantasy and creativity –
precisely the values we at the LEGO Company believe in – and we are extremely
happy to be working with Warner Bros. Consumer Products on this property,” says
Mark Livingstone, managing director of LEGO Media. “Whether through our
construction toys or these interactive games, we are committed to capturing the
excitement and wonder found in the Harry Potter books and bring it to play
time.”
The LEGO Creator series of CD-ROM titles essentially provides a virtual toy box
of LEGO® elements – often based on a specific LEGO product line or theme – with
which kids can build and play in an interactive environment.
Research shows that LEGO Creator software titles help to inspire reciprocal play
with real LEGO bricks, allowing the child to play in an imaginary world both on-
and off-screen.
“Having two associated play ranges – one physical and one virtual – supports our
license even further, allowing kids to explore the Harry Potter world and
recreate the stories they love. We’re also encouraging kids to build on their
knowledge of Harry Potter and enabling their role play not only to re-enact but
also to create new scenarios,” Livingstone continues.
The first LEGO Creator Harry Potter software title is due for release in Fall
2001 and will be based on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first book
of the award-winning J. K. Rowling series. Details about LEGO Media’s second
Harry Potter software are not yet available.
LEGO Media
LEGO Media International was established in 1996 and has its worldwide
headquarters near London. LEGO Media International is responsible for the
development, publishing and marketing of media products for children between the
ages of two and 16. As part of the LEGO Group, LEGO Media International has
access to unique brand recognition as well as strong marketing and distribution
power in the children's market. The Company is led by a strong senior management
team of talented interactive media industry professionals and experienced
managers from the LEGO Group. LEGO Media International is a separate limited
company in the UK and an incorporated company in the US.
HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner
Bros. © 2001.
For further information, contact:
LEGO Company
Eva Lykkegaard
Tel. +45 79 50 74 24
In North America:
Michael McNally
Tel. +1 860-763-7825
Billund, 2001
This page was updated on February 2nd, 2001
|
|
| |
Taken from:
http://www.lego.com/info/pressspecific.asp?PressReleaseId=164&Year=2001
LEGO Company enters the world of music
LEGO Company has linked up with Universal Music International in a unique three
year business partnership.
The world's largest music company has secured the support of a world famous
producer to develop music to accompany the latest new product launch from LEGO
Company: LEGO TECHNIC Bionicle. This will initially consist of a Music power
pack launched in Europe throughout the spring 2001 with further music projects
planned to support the product later in the year. All music releases will be
enhanced cd's with a multimedia content, which means that you by putting your cd
into the pc will experience an introduction to the LEGO TECHNIC universe.
Jens-Otto Paludan, MD Universal Music Denmark commented: "This is a very
exciting project for Universal Music and allows us to develop a relationship
with a prestigious brand outside of the music arena. The LEGO name is synonymous
with quality, imagination, creativity, innovation and fun - attributes we can
identify very closely with".
"We have chosen to work together with the Universal Music International because
we share the same target audience among young people between the ages of 7-
16.For these children story telling and music play a very important role in
their daily life. Young people absorb themselves in different universes and
identify with role models such as pop groups or they enjoy role-playing
themselves. Story telling plays a large role in LEGO TECHNIC Bionicle, which we
expect to be a hit among young people in this age group," says Stig Blicher,
Global Brand Director, LEGO Company.
"Our products stimulate many senses, so for us, it is only natural to
incorporate music into the LEGO universe. With LEGO TECHNIC Bionicle, it seems
natural to add new dimensions to the overall experience by releasing LEGO
inspired music to the public."
LEGO TECHNIC Bionicle is a totally new concept where storytelling is in focus.
Children can learn about the universe and follow the development of the story on
www.Bionicle.com (http://www.Bionicle.com)
The story begins at the island Mata Nui, where the six Toa heroes with one
destiny and the six Turaga priests are the main characters. The six Toas will be
released in Europe in February and in the States in August.
LEGO Company
LEGO Company is the world leader in providing quality products and experiences
that stimulate children's creativity, imagination and learning. It does so
through playful activities that encourage hands-on, minds-on creation, fun,
togetherness and sharing of ideas. The family owned LEGO Company was founded in
Denmark in 1932. By the year 2005, the company wants the LEGO brand to be the
strongest in the world among families with children.
For further information contact:
Eva Lykkegaard
LEGO Company
Tel: +45 79 50 74 24 E-mail: eva.lykkegaard@europe.lego.com
Lisa Bond
Universal Music International
Global Company Communications
Tel: +44 207 747 4217 E-mail: lisa.bond@umusic.com
Billund, 2001 This page was updated on January 29th, 2001
(C) 2000 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved. Use of this site signifies your
agreement to the terms of use. Legal Notice.
|
|
| |
Taken from:
http://www.lego.com/info/pressspecific.asp?PressReleaseId=163&Year=2001
Children are our role models - a profile of the LEGO Company, 2001
Within very short time, the LEGO brick has twice been named Toy of the Century.
Fortune Business Magazine was the first in November 1999; then in January 2000
came the award from the British Association of Toy Retailers (BATR). We are
naturally proud of the honour, which imposes on us an obligation to continue to
do our best in the new millennium to strengthen the famous LEGO brand and to
stimulate children's imagination, creativity and enthusiasm through play and
learning.
The basis for all LEGO products and activities is our belief that children and
their needs must be taken seriously. We see it as our most important task to
stimulate children's imagination and creativity and to encourage them to
explore, experience and express their own world - a world without limits.
We fulfil this task by offering children and young people creative,
developmental and amusing products and experiences:
LEGO playmaterials (http://www.lego.com/info/core.asp)
LEGOLAND parks (http://www.lego.com/info/parks.asp)
LEGO Lifestyle products (http://www.lego.com/info/lifestyle.asp) (e.g. clothes,
watches)
LEGO Media products (http://media.lego.com/) (e.g. software)
LEGO products are sold all over the globe. We are one of the world's largest toy
manufacturers and the largest in construction toys. During the past 40 years,
more than 300 million children have played with LEGO bricks.
Our goal for the LEGO brand is to be known as the strongest brand in the world
among families with children by 2005. It is a realistic goal because today the
LEGO Company is already among the ten most famous brands among families with
children.
Stimulating children's imagination and creativity
We see children as our role models. They are curious, imaginative and creative.
They embrace discovery and wonder. And they are natural learners. These are
precious qualities that should be nurtured and stimulated throughout life.
Lifelong creativity, imagination and learning are stimulated by playful
activities that encourage hands-on and minds-on creation, fun, togetherness and
sharing of ideas.
People who are curious, creative and imaginative - who have a childlike urge to
learn - are best equipped to thrive in a challenging world and be the builders
of our common future.
Therefore, our mission is to nurture the child in each of us.
All LEGO products appeal to children's imagination and creativity by offering
them unlimited possibilities.
Dorothy and Jerome L. Singer, who are both professors of psychology at Yale
University in the USA, have researched children's play for more than 30 years
and are firm advocates of "open-ended" toys like LEGO - i.e. toys without
limits. Toys with which they can use their imaginations. Jerome L. Singer says:
"Children must be able to create their own stories with a toy. They must decide,
otherwise they can't use their imagination."
We promote children's development and learning
When we stimulate children's imagination and creativity, we also promote their
development and learning. Dorothy L. Singer, who is the chairman of the Next
Generation Roundtable, puts it this way: "Children who use their imagination
often do better at school. They play more with other children, they are often
leaders, they can control their anger and can entertain themselves while they
are waiting or are simply alone." Dorothy L. Singer also points out that
imagination develops characteristics that are important success criteria in
modern society and will remain so. They are characteristics such as learning new
things, thinking for oneself and having creative abilities.
Next Generation (http://www.nextgenerationforum.org)
Our goal is to promote children's imagination, creativity, development and
learning. In 1998, therefore, the LEGO Company collaborated with the Danish
organisation House of Monday Morning in establishing an independent global
institution that focuses on creativity, development and learning. The
institution Next Generation acts a world-wide meeting place for discussion of
the latest knowledge in these areas.
Next Generation Roundtable is a panel of international researchers into
creativity and childhood who, on a voluntary basis, make their knowledge more
widely available and present their views on these issues at two meetings each
year.
The Next Generation Roundtable's experts see the new century as the age of
creativity and imagination. Professor Mitchel Resnick, who is also LEGO
Professor at MIT in Massachusetts in the USA and a member of the Next Generation
Roundtable, puts it this way: "Success in tomorrow's society will not be
primarily based on information or knowledge, but on creativity."
Emphasis on high quality
Quality is an area in which we maintain the highest standards.
In our largest business area, LEGO play materials, we associate quality with the
following requirements:
Technical quality:
Our play materials must have such properties as durability, stability,
consistent colours and product safety.
Consumer quality:
Our play materials must provide unlimited opportunities, permitting children to
play with them in many different ways.
Development quality:
Our play materials must be attractive to children and retain their interest year
after year. They must stimulate and develop children's senses, motor abilities,
imagination, creativity and intelligence.
In 1999, for the first time we launched a number of themes based on licence
agreements signed in 1998 with Walt Disney(R) Company and Lucas(tm) Licensing
Ltd. These agreements relate to both the classic and the new Star Wars(tm) space
ships and to Winnie the Pooh, now famous worldwide through the Disney(R) cartoon
film based on A.A. Milne's books. The LEGO Company has enjoyed great success
with both ranges. More exciting and entertaining sets with LEGO Star Wars(tm)
models and Disney figures are being launched this year.
In 2001, the five first sets based on the popular television show, Bob the
Builder(tm), of HIT Entertainment will be launched in the LEGO DUPLO range and
in the autumn, following the opening night of the first Harry Potter film from
Warner Bros., Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, we will launch the first
nine Harry Potter LEGO sets.
The LEGO Company has successfully manoeuvred through the different eras of play.
In the first era construction and building experiences were at the centre of all
LEGO play. Wheels, small motors and gearwheels added movement to the LEGO
products in the second era. And role play and product themes formed the basis in
the third era where the LEGO characters entered the universe. Now a fourth and
very interesting new era has begun where intelligence and behaviour have become
an integrated part of the LEGO products.
LEGO MINDSTORMS(tm) has become famous all over the world. As the first company
in the world to do so, we have linked the world of computers with construction
toys and thus invented a toy that can "think, see and feel". The LEGO MINDSTORMS
products allow children to design and build their own LEGO creations/robots and
bring these to life via their computer. By means of the camera, LEGO MINDSTORMS
Vision Command, the robots can even see.
LEGO MINDSTORMS has up to now received seven prizes, including the Product Prize
awarded by Dansk Industri, the umbrella organisation for Denmark's industrial
companies. The prize was given to the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System
1.5 in September 1999. The product prize citation reads "for a brilliant idea,
either a tangible product or a process-oriented solution. In other words, a
Danish industrial product with qualities above the ordinary".
The LEGO Company's President and CEO, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, describes the
company's development in the following way: "Over the past almost 70 years, we
have moved from wooden toys to the LEGO brick and now on to intelligent robot
systems. These honours strengthen our resolve to continue on our present path in
the new century, exploiting new technological progress to create new
opportunities and products that stimulate children's imagination and
creativity".
We have also introduced the world of computers in our business category, LEGO
Media, linking the virtual world with the LEGO universe. This has resulted in a
number of LEGO computer games.
In 2000, LEGO Company received a total of 57 product prizes and honours of which
many were awarded by parental organisations. On a long list of award winners the
LEGO Soccer Championship Challenge appears several times. The football game has
received five prizes, e.g. the Belgian Toy Award 2000. LEGO MyBot was launched
in the autumn 2000, and still it received several prizes. Most recently it
received the AIDA Prize awarded for the best product of the year by the
International Association of Retailers, Wholesalers and Manufacturers.
LEGO play materials
In 1963, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen formulated 10 characteristics for the LEGO
Company's play materials. The 10 characteristics are today virtually unchanged
and are as follows:
unlimited play possibilities
for girls, for boys
enthusiasm for all ages
play all year around
stimulating and absorbing play
endless hours of play
imagination, creativity, development
each new product multiplies the play value
always topical
leading safety and quality.
During the past five decades, our adherence to these characteristics has helped
us to sell more than 320 billion LEGO bricks all over the world. This sales
volume is equivalent to every member of the world's aprox. 6 billion population
owning 52 LEGO bricks.
Lego play materials consist of the following product lines:
LEGO BABY
LEGO DUPLO
LEGO SCALA
LEGO BELVILLE
LEGO CREATOR
LEGO SYSTEM
LEGO TECHNIC
LEGO MINDSTORMS
These product ranges are designed for children and young people of different
ages and at different developmental stages. They range from LEGO BABY, which
develops the senses and motor abilities of children up to the age of 18 months,
to LEGO MINDSTORMS, which develops the understanding of complex concepts among
12-16-year-olds, as well as their ability to solve problems along or in company
with others. There appears to be no upper age limit for the popularity of LEGO
MINDSTORMS. Around half the owners of these sets are adults between the ages of
25 and 45.
The product programme is designed to present greater challenges as children grow
older and become more skilled. Thus, all children and young people up to the age
of 16 can benefit from LEGO play materials.
LEGOLAND parks
The LEGOLAND parks are family parks. They offer an entertaining and
developmental world primarily based on LEGO bricks. Our objective for the
LEGOLAND parks is for them to be attractive excursion destinations for families
with children. Today, the LEGO Company has LEGOLAND parks in Billund (Denmark),
Windsor (Great Britain) and Carlsbad (California). A fourth Park, LEGOLAND
Deutschland, will be opened in Gunzburg, southern Germany, in 2002.
LEGOLAND BILLUND
The first LEGOLAND park opened in Billund in 1968. It quickly became Denmark's
most popular tourist attraction outside Copenhagen.
In 2000, the Park attracted 1.55 million visitors. Families from all over the
world come to see the buildings and landscapes in Miniland, to be entertained by
and take part in the park's exhibitions and shows, and to have fun exploring the
world of LEGO play materials. For example, the park has a LEGO MINDSTORMS
Learning Centre, where children have the opportunity to build robots by using a
PC to program intelligent LEGO bricks.
LEGOLAND Billund (http://www.lego.com/legoland/billund/) begins its 2001 season
on 31st March and closes on 28th October.
LEGOLAND WINDSOR
In 1996, we repeated the Billund Park's success by opening another at Windsor,
in Great Britain. LEGOLAND Windsor is 35 kilometres west of central London, with
Windsor Castle as its nearest neighbour. In 1997, the park was named as Great
Britain's most popular new attraction. It was visited by 1.6 million people in
1999.
LEGOLAND WINDSOR (http://www.lego.com/legoland/windsor/default.htm) begins its
2001 season on 11th March and closes again on 7th January 2002.
LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA
The third LEGOLAND Park opened on 22nd March 1999 in Carlsbad, southern
California. This Park has also been a success, attracting more than 1.5 million
visitors in its first season.
LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA (http://www.lego.com/legofinder/legoland.asp) will be open
throughout the year in 2001.
LEGO Lifestyle
Our goal for LEGO Lifestyle is to heighten awareness of the LEGO brand and to
promote the sale of our other products. Licensed products include LEGO Wear
(http://www.lego.com/wear/) - collections of high-quality, colourful and
practical children's wear - bags, books and watches - and in the USA also jigsaw
puzzles. LEGO Wear are being sold all over the world. The new global collection
will comprise around 600 models annually. The range includes clothing of every
kind for boys and girls in the 0-10 years age range.
LEGO Media
LEGO Media (http://media.lego.com/)collaborates closely with carefully selected
partners for the development of interactive games for children and young people.
All games are based on existing universes within our play materials. We take our
obligation to develop reliable and broadening games very seriously. It is our
objective that our software must stimulate children's imagination and encourages
and challenge them to go beyond their limits and explore places they haven't
visited before. We would like our games to give children a unique experience.
LEGO.com
In the autumn 2000, we introduced a new and different web site inviting children
to step into the LEGO universe to play and learn how to exchange information
through the Internet. In addition, the site contains facts about products and
other information for children, adults and educators. To the LEGO Company,
LEGO.com presents a unique opportunity to get into direct contact with our
customers.
"LEGO.com revolutionises our relationship with our customers; the customer
becomes part of LEGO Company in a manner that we haven't seen before. Technology
gives us an opportunity to listen and involve our customers' creativity directly
in the development of new individual products", says Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen.
A first taste of the future on the Internet is LEGO Mosaic
(http://www.lego.com/mosaic/). At LEGO.com you can scan any picture or photo
into your computer and send it to the LEGO Company. Then you'll receive the LEGO
bricks required to reconstruct the picture in a two-dimensional LEGO Mosaic.
Today, LEGO.com is visited more than 12 million times each month, which makes
the LEGO web site one of the most visited children and family sites in the
world. The collaboration agreement concluded with Microsoft in January further
strengthens our visibility on the Internet because there will be many links to
our homepage and to elements of LEGO.com. In addition, it will be possible to
buy LEGO products through Microsoft's web site.
LEGO Shop at Home at Home (http://shop.lego.com/gateway.asp) at the address
www.LEGO.com is the largest LEGO store in the world, offering consumers from
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States the largest LEGO assortment
anywhere. This includes approximately 450 different LEGO sets, 67 different
types of bulk bricks and products not available at retail e.g. bulk bricks, LEGO
Mosaic, LEGO Mini-figure and the Statue of Liberty. In the course of 2001, the
LEGO Shop at Home will also be made available to consumers from Southern Europe
and Asia/Pacific.
LEGO Company's history
The history of the LEGO Company begins in Billund, Denmark, where in 1932 Ole
Kirk Christiansen began to make wooden toys. In the years since, the Kirk
Kristiansen family has transformed the little workshop into a large, successful
company that today employs around 9,000 people. Production of LEGO products is
undertaken at our factories in Denmark, Switzerland, the USA, the Czech
Republic, Hungary and Korea. The founder's grandson, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen (his
last name is spelled with a K due to a mistake on his birth certificate), is the
main shareholder, President and CEO.
With a small handful of employees - including his 12-year-old son Godtfred - Ole
Kirk Christiansen begins to manufacture wooden products in his workshop. These
products include stepladders, ironing boards as well as toys, but he sees
particularly good prospects for toys, because children always need playthings.
A couple of years later, Ole Kirk Christiansen hangs up a wooden sign in the
workshop on which he has placed his motto: "Only the best is good enough". That
motto remains a guiding principle for the LEGO Company to this day.
In 1934, Ole Kirk Christiansen calls both his toys and his company LEGO. The
word is a combination of the first two letters of each of the Danish words "LEg
GOdt", which mean "play well". Thus, almost from the start, the name LEGO
proclaims that the company produced toys that children can play well with - i.e.
that stimulate children's creativity, imagination, development and learning
while they are having fun.
In the post-war years, many new raw materials are developed. One of these
materials is plastic. Ole Kirk Christiansen quickly realises that plastic has
great potential. In 1947, he buys the company's first moulding machine for
injecting plastics. Now the company's assortment includes both plastic and
wooden toys.
In 1949, the LEGO factory introduces the first plastic building bricks under the
name "Automatic Binding Bricks" on the Danish market. These bricks have four or
eight studs and are hollow. They are the primitive forerunners of the
revolutionary LEGO building brick.
From 1950, Ole Kirk Christiansen's son Godtfred Kirk Christiansen is the
company's assistant managing director. By this time, the workshop has been
replaced by a little factory and the number of employees has risen to 140. Over
time, the company has developed a successful business selling LEGO toys to
retailers all over Denmark.
In 1954, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen develops the concept further. The LEGO brick
becomes the "LEGO System of Play".
The company's big breakthrough comes in 1958, when the new coupling system for
the LEGO brick is invented. Tubes are added inside the hollow brick that result
in far greater structural stability. This makes the combination possibilities
almost infinite. A patent on the new coupling system is applied for and given in
the same year.
Ole Kirk Christiansen has the satisfaction of experiencing the invention that
crowns his life's work and lays the foundation for the company's future success
before he dies in 1958. He was replaced as managing director by his son Godtfred
Kirk Christiansen the year before.
From 1960, the LEGO Company only produces LEGO bricks.
In 1979, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen becomes the chairman of the company, with
his son Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen taking over as managing director. By 1995, the
year of Godtfred Kirk Christiansen's death, we have achieved unchallenged world
leadership in the production of construction toys. Today we sell our products
all over the globe and are one of the world's largest and best toy
manufacturers.
LEGO Company's next milestone comes in 2005 - the year when the LEGO brand must
be the world's strongest brand among families with children. We are steering a
safe course towards that target. As always, that course is determined by a focus
on our most important task: to stimulate children's imagination and creativity
and to encourage them to explore, experience and express their own world - a
world without limits.
Billund, 2001 This page was updated on January 24th, 2001
(C) 2000 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved. Use of this site signifies your
agreement to the terms of use. Legal Notice.
|
|
| |
Taken from:
http://www.lego.com/info/pressspecific.asp?PressReleaseId=158&Year=2001
LEGO INmotion Makes Debut at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show
The LEGO Company Works With Innovative Design Company, Johnson Controls, Inc.,
to Create the Ultimate Family Vehicle
Enfield, Conn. 11. January 2001 The world’s best-known construction toy maker
and the world’s leader of innovative vehicle interior design today announces
LEGO INmotion – a unique, original family concept vehicle. LEGO Systems, Inc.
and Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls, Inc. will showcase their idea of the
ultimate, family-friendly vehicle at this weekend’s North American International
Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.
The concept vehicle will tour the country throughout 2001, making stops at
various family venues. Set in a de-badged sport-utility vehicle (SUV), the
sleek, silver exterior of LEGO INmotion hints at the futuristic elements of the
innovative interior such as interchangeable modular storage units, internet
capabilities, third row swivel seats for tailgating and more. LEGO INmotion is
intended to showcase the possibility of a branded vehicle and to garner consumer
feedback from families. While on tour, short surveys will be distributed to
adults in order to gauge their interest in the concept of a family vehicle such
as LEGO INmotion.
The LEGO Company and Johnson Controls began working together in 1998 to
research, plan, design and construct the LEGO INmotion vehicle. Considered a
world-leader in automotive design, Johnson Controls says the efforts made to
bring the vehicle to life will be rewarded by the detailed feedback received
from their target market.
“LEGO INmotion by Johnson Controls reflects our company’s world-class ability of
interpreting consumers’ needs and, along with partners like LEGO, translating
them into innovative products developed for people in motion,” says Bob Ellis,
vice president of product marketing and brand development for Johnson Controls.
“The Johnson Controls LEGO INmotion concept vehicle is a creative and innovative
new approach to family travel. Parents have long sought to find new and
absorbing ways in which to keep children engaged on long journeys by road. LEGO
INmotion incorporates many unique features that will enhance the travel
experience for young families in an interactive and safe environment,” says
Peter Eio, President of LEGO Systems, Inc. “We eagerly look forward to seeing
this new generation of child-friendly vehicles on the road,” he continues.
The LEGO Company has partnered with Johnson Controls because both companies
strive to produce exciting, creative and fun new products with cutting-edge
technology. Additionally, new opportunities in brand extension, such as the
collaboration with Johnson Controls, helps the LEGO Company move toward its goal
of becoming the number one brand among families with children by the year 2005.
Additional information regarding LEGO INmotion can be found by visiting the LEGO
Company’s website at http://www.lego.com/inmotion/
For access to Johnson Controls news releases and additional company information,
visit the company’s web site on the World Wide Web at
http://www.johnsoncontrols.com
For further information, please contact:
LEGO Company
Melinda Carter
Tel: 860/763-6696
Pgr: 888/897-5727
Johnson Controls
Bill Dawson
Tel: 734/254-5925
|
|
| |
Taken from:
http://www.lego.com/info/pressspecific.asp?PressReleaseId=154&Year=2001
Microsoft Corp. to Deliver Joint Services and Products with LEGO Company
Enabling Consumers to Explore and Develop Their Creative Potential.
REDMOND, Wash., and BILLUND, Denmark -- Jan. 10, 2001
Microsoft Corp. and LEGO Company today announced the formation of a sweeping
global alliance that will result in new services and enhanced products and
technologies for consumers around the world. Through joint efforts, Microsoft
and LEGO Company will create stimulating and exciting experiences by combining
digital technology with the famous building bricks. The synergy between LEGO
Company's family content, MSN's word-wide consumer network, and Microsoft's
software and service expertise, provides a unique business platform to deliver
an exciting environment where consumers can create and explore.
"Together with LEGO Company, Microsoft will deliver an imaginative and powerful
way for consumers of all ages to learn and be creative through our leading
technology," said Rick Belluzzo, group vice president of the Personal Services
and Devices Group at Microsoft. The LEGO brick is recognized worldwide and will
be an ideal tool as we pioneer new solutions consumers can use to explore,
experiment and exchange information."
"The combination of the LEGO brandís powerful relationship with children and
families all over the world -- based on our values of imagination, creativity,
fun and learning -- with Microsoft's vision of empowering people of all ages
through great software any time, any place and on any device, creates a unique
opportunity for a relationship that serves children in a way that truly makes a
difference in their lives," said Torben Ballegaard Sorensen, executive vice
president, LEGO Company.
Microsoft and LEGO Company Forge Ahead
The alliance between Microsoft and LEGO Company will span a multitude of groups
within each company and touch the lives of millions of their consumers.
Initially, key areas of Microsoft involved in the LEGO alliance will include
MSN(R), Microsoft(R) Windows Media(TM) Technologies, the Xbox(TM) video game
system, and .NET services.
Consumers can already benefit from the Microsoft and LEGO Company alliance
at MSN Kids channel (http://www.kids.msn.com), where LEGO Company is working
with MSN to deliver creative, new content. In addition, LEGO Company products
are already featured on MSN eShop, the one-stop shopping location on MSN.
Consumers are able to experience the world of LEGO Company in a virtual
environment by exploring MSN Kids channel for the latest LEGO games and
activities as well as purchase the physical products that consumers enjoy
through MSN eShop. In addition, LEGO Company will have an advertising presence
in targeted areas of MSN and will be marked by further joint marketing
opportunities where consumers will be able to experience the advantages of the
Internet together with MSN and LEGO Company.
LEGO Company will adopt Microsoft technologies in its future offerings by
integrating Microsoft Passport for authentication and wallet data -- as well as
the COPPA-compliant Kids Passport -- into the new LEGO.com Web site, to help
ensure consumers the most secure, reliable and easy way to make purchases
online. On the interactive entertainment front, LEGO Company has been named a
game developer for the new Xbox for gamers of all ages. The company will also
integrate Windows Media into new versions of the successful LEGO Studios line of
moviemaking products. Similarly, LEGO Company will facilitate the integration of
Microsoft .NET services and technologies throughout its global enterprise
network to increase productivity of its users and availability of content, while
reducing total cost of ownership.
About LEGO Company
The family-owned LEGO Company was founded in Denmark in 1932. The company is the
world leader in providing quality products and experiences that stimulate
childrenís creativity, imagination and learning. It does so through activities
that encourage hands-on, minds-on creation, fun, togetherness and sharing of
ideas. These activities include the development and marketing of computer-based
play and educational materials, such as the award-winning LEGO MINDSTORMS
product line. By the year 2005, the company wants the LEGO brand to be the
strongest in the world among families with children. More information about the
company is available at LEGO.com
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software,
services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The
company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people
through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.
For more information, press only:
Microsoft Corp.
Michelle Simpson, Waggener Edstrom, (503)443-7000, mailto:michs@wagged.com
Rapid Response Team, Waggener Edstrom, (503) 443-7000 mailto:rrt@wagged.com
For additional information on Microsoft, please visit Microsoftís corporate
information pages on http://www.microsoft.com/presspass
LEGO Company
Eva Lykkegaard, +45 79 50 74 24, mailto:eva.lykkegaard@europe.lego.com
Kina Paegert, (760) 9185377 mailto:kinap@america.lego.com
For more information on the LEGO Company, please visit
http://www.lego.com/info/default.asp
Microsoft, MSN, Windows Media and Xbox are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The
names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of
their respective owners.
LEGO is a registered trademark owned by the LEGO Group.
|
|
|
