A Million Little Bricks
Page 18
BIONICLE and LEGO MINDSTORMS were some of the most innovative and popular children’s toys to emerge from the LEGO think tank in recent years, in spite of the company’s stretched resources at the time of their inception. But the creation, development, production, and promotion of huge new product lines such as these did not come cheap and after a few years of reported losses, 2004 was the year the LEGO Group reported a record deficit of nearly DKK 1.4 billion ($230 million), with company debts amounting to more than DKK 5 billion ($827 million). The company was losing money fast, not helped by the cost of constructing theme parks and legal actions taking place around the world. Since the patent on the company’s iconic brick expired in 1975, TLG had fought tooth and nail to prevent rival brands, essentially copying the design of the brick, from producing cheaper imitations to LEGO bricks. These lengthy legal battles, not all of which have been successful, have cost the LEGO Group and other brands enormous sums of money, and while they continued to be fought, a different kind of action was being taken at Billund HQ.
LEGO fans feared the worst—with the company so clearly on a knife’s edge it would have come as no surprise if a toy giant like Mattel had made a convincing enough offer to let CEO Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen off the hook—the brand still had great customer loyalty and, according to an independent survey carried out by Young & Rubicam, it was the sixth best-known brand in the world for families with children age up to eleven. But, like his father and grandfather before him, Kjeld was not a quitter and, rather than give up on the problem, he resolved to fix it. He announced a new financial plan in 2004 and then brought in an outsider to save the company: Jørgen Vig Knudstorp—a senior employee with three years at the LEGO Group under his belt, who had graduated with a Ph.D. in business economics just six years previously, a young man with no CEO experience. An odd choice, perhaps, for a multi-national company on the brink of collapse, but Knudstorp knew he was an unlikely candidate, and took a humble approach to the organization and its customers, looking to them to show him what needed to be put right. He set to work immediately, as he explained to Diana Milne from Business Management magazine in 2009.
“In 2003 we pretty much lost 30 percent of our turnover in just one year. The decline continued in 2004 with another fall of 10 percent. So one year into the job, the company had lost 40 percent of its sales. And of course we were producing record high losses and cash flows were negative. My job was to look at how to stop the bleeding, how to stabilize sales and how to cut costs dramatically to deal with the new reality of selling 40 percent less than you did two years earlier. . . . We had too much capacity, it was sitting in the wrong countries, our products weren’t sharp enough and the retailers were very unhappy.”
Jørgen to the rescue! Senior LEGO employees, including CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, now have minifigures in their own image to hand out as business cards. © Alex Howe
Part of the new boss’s seven-year strategy involved selling off the LEGOLAND theme parks to Merlin Entertainment Group (LEGO retained a 30 percent share in the parks and Knudstorp is on the management committee), discontinuing less successful product lines, and cutting more than 1,000 jobs in Billund. The slogan he used to describe the strategy was “We changed everything but the brand.” By revamping the business and the product portfolio, the company’s profitability increased—figures for 2008 showed that sales were up nearly 20 percent and the net profit had risen to DKK 1.35 billion ($270 million).
Part of the company’s 2004 financial plan referred to a new focus aimed at the classic product lines of DUPLO/Baby, classic play themes, LEGO Technic, and LEGO MINDSTORMS, and the importance of achieving a balance between these and story-based products such as BIONICLE, Star Wars and Harry Potter. Here we explore the development of these classic product lines and their narrative-driven alternatives through the last decade.
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Of all the evergreen themes, Town had remained a constant best-seller for the LEGO Group, and as a result, conceptually it had changed the least. Even so, designers were still finding ways to introduce new real-world play environments to Town as can be seen in 2000’s Arctic. Branching off from the familiar world of diggers and fire engines, Arctic channeled the adventurous spirit of 1998’s Extreme Team with the design aesthetic of Space sub-theme Ice Planet 2002. The Arctic explorers’ home was Polar Base (6575) and a mobile outpost (6520) and scouting sled were also available; all three came with a polar bear. One of the more unusual sets was the Ice Surfer (6579), a wind surfer designed to whiz along the icy terrain. The team wore a mixture of red, blue, and green outfits with the Arctic logo (a snowy mountain)—and for those out in the cold, there was a warm fur hood attachment. From 2003 onward, there was a return to the slightly more traditional definition of Town, although this time minifigures had moved to a larger metropolis.
HOUSES AND HOMES
While the pre-minifigure Town range had included lots of “build-a-house” sets, there were less post-1978. Some examples of these include the original 1978 Town House with Garden (376), 1981’s Summer Cottage (6365), 1982’s Town House (6372), and 1985’s Weekend Home (6370). Throughout the 1990s, there was a heavier focus on more action-based ranges, and only a couple of “house” sets were released. Since 2003, basic building Creator sets (also known as Designer Sets 2003–2005) have revisited house building on a larger, more detailed scale, sans minifigures. 2007’s Model Town House (4954) included 1,185 pieces to build a three-story home with adjoining garage, and 2008’s Beach House (4996), which, while smaller, was an inspired yellow-brick design with a balcony, skylights, and barbecue patio. Recent home-building additions to the Creator range include Family Home (6754) and Apple Tree House (5899)—a truly modern family home with lawn mower, basketball hoop, and satellite dish. The most recent City range included City House (8403)—a three-story white-brick structure with a garden. Other recent buildings to house minifigures are above the special-edition Green Grocer (10185), in the loft space of the City Corner pizzeria (7641), or the Winter Village Bakery (10216). Failing that, you could always build your own.
Before the LEGO Group settled on “City”—the current incarnation for what was LEGO Town—there was a brief fling with World City (2003–2004), a fictional international location with a futuristic design to appeal to LEGO fans all over the world. The skyline of World City was made up of skyscrapers, and crime and transport were the two main focuses of the sets released. Two World City trains were available— passenger and cargo—as well as additional train cars and a grand central train station in the popular yellow-brick style (although slightly modernized and with a skateboarder). The majority of sets, however, revolved around Police HQ (7035), the bleakest-looking police station yet, with its three-story tower, black glass windows, security camera, and heavily armored vehicles. Other police sets included Surveillance Truck (7034), Armoured Car Action (7033), and a criminal hideout complete with shark-decorated hovercraft (7045). World City also had a fire brigade and a coast guard called Coast Watch.
While Apple Tree House (5891) is not available with minifigures, this photograph gives an idea of the scale of Creator’s recent detailed house sets. © Richard Wyatt
This fire service helicopter (7238) was released in 2005. © David Martin
From 2005, Town was a town no longer; LEGO City was here to stay. This new umbrella name encompassed all the LEGO sets existing in a contemporary real-world setting, from fire engines and police cars to hospitals, airports, service stations, and contemporary trains. The unified theme has been running for over five years and at the time of this writing, toys are categorized in the following sub-themes:
Emergency Rescue
There have been many LEGO fire stations over the years, most notably 1994’s Flame Fighters (6571), but 2007’s offering to the men in black was an impressive addition to the existing collection. This 600-piece City set (7945) included two large garages with working doors for the fire truck and chief’s car, as well as control and alarm rooms. The year 2010 saw
the release of another station (7208) with living quarters, a fireman’s pole, and a kitty stuck up a tree. The fire brigade’s fleet has expanded to include a helicopter (7238), off-road vehicle (7942), fire boat (7906), and even a hovercraft vehicle (7944) that moves on wheels to create the appearance of hovering.
Police
One of the first 2005 City products was the Police Motorcycle (7235)—a sleek, realistic design that set the tone for the new style of LEGO policing. The new Police Station (7237) was a supersize version of the 2003 World Police headquarters, utilizing a similar three-story tower structure and black, white, and gray color scheme—the addition of a rooftop helipad and intimidating jail were impressive and helped to launch the new City theme. Since 2005 the City Police have made their mark with a large boat (7899), a Police Pontoon Plane (7723), and an impressive Police Truck (7743) that functions as a command center and surveillance unit. A new headquarters (7744) appeared in 2008, adding to the modern, fresh-white face of Police. Finished with plenty of blue transparent pieces, the station included an interrogation room, break room, and a water cooler.
The LEGO policeman got a revamp and stylish new bike in 2005 with this set (7235). © Owen J. Weber
One of the most recent additions to the LEGO police fleet was this 2009 patrol boat. © Christopher Doyle
Transportation
While 2005–2006 City focused more on the emergency services and construction toys, 2007 saw the release of more general transportation vehicles to complement the cityscape. These included a cement mixer (7990), a rubbish truck (7991), and a new gas station (7993) for the vehicles to refuel. In 2008 they launched a large cargo plane, a mail delivery van, and a large cargo truck with loading forklift. Unlike other City sub-themes, this one is not categorized by a color scheme, although green and white vehicles are common. More recently, LEGO added new leisure vehicles with a sporty red convertible (8402) and a surfer’s Camper Van (7639) an updated version of the 1992 Surf N’ Sail Camper (6351). Also included in this category are an impressive LEGO garage (7642) and the previously mentioned City Corner set (7641), which includes the pizza place and the first LEGO skate shop.
Rather than being a city filled with crime and disaster, 2009’s Camper (7639) exemplified LEGO City’s leisurely pace and sense of fun. © Ruben Saldana
Mail Van (7731), released in 2008. © Kent Quon
For the first time, designers introduced luxury travel to LEGO City with this 2010 Helicopter and Limousine set (3222). © Richard Wyatt
Nearly twenty years after its first airport was released, the LEGO Group updated the 1994 airport set (6597), transforming it into City Airport (10159) with a passenger plane, two helicopters, and a futuristic control tower. In 2006 LEGO released a new, larger Passenger Plane (7893) and a new Airport (7894) to accompany it. This time, LEGO removed the runway base plate and gave fans a stand-alone airport unit (with control tower, security check, and baggage claim) and a separate airplane and a luggage truck. A small minifigure Airport set (3182) was released in 2010 in anticipation of a new passenger plane (3181), helicopter and limousine set (3222), and public transportation hub (8404) that appeared later that year.
Although LEGO Train has always been associated with Town, and trains even included in later sets, such as World City set 10157, City officially incorporated some of the most recent train sets in 2006. Two separate remote-controlled engines with tracks were released—a two-directional white and red high-speed commuter train (7897), and the green Cargo Train Deluxe (7898)—as were new additional, remote-controlled rail parts. In 2007 a rail crossing was included and a new train station (7997). The year 2010 saw the arrival of two new trains that incorporated the new remote-controlled Power Functions technology. These passenger and cargo trains (7938, 7939) were joined by a brand-new station with footbridge (7937) the same year.
Construction
Since the invention of the LEGO brick, construction has been the underlying intention behind every theme, and construction-related toys have long been an incorporated part of the Town theme—from the earliest 1:87 scale flatbed trucks and 1967’s Dump Truck (331) to Classic Town construction toys. It seems the world of LEGO City would not have been complete without building sites and road works. The 2005 City range included a full assembly of bright yellow construction vehicles, such as the XXL Mobile Crane (7249), an interesting construction site (7243), and a delightful streetsweeping vehicle with cleaning gadgets that made life a lot easier for its owner, especially when compared to the handheld cart that the 1978 street-sweeping minifigure had to haul around. In 2009 eight new sets were released, which included a new construction site with a revamped version of the XXL Mobile Crane to assemble a modular building (7633), a bulldozer (7685), and a single drum steamroller (7746).
Farm
The year 2009 saw designers take on the farm yard—a “City” location not really explored by LEGO Town, although a popular theme in DUPLO toys. This addition to City is an example of TLG trying to keep its more recent toys relevant and educational. With growing public interest in environmental issues including food production and food sourcing, the Farm line gave children beyond DUPLO age the opportunity to explore a play theme not previously available to them; for parents and educators, it’s a useful tool to explain real issues to their children, while offering violence-free play. The 2009 Farm (7637) was made up of a silo, a cow shed, and a hay barn and came with two cows, a dog, a cat, and a mouse. Other farm sets included a combine harvester (7636), a horse trailer set (7635), and the 2010 Pig Farm and Tractor set (7684).
This mini-digger set (7246) was one of six new yellow construction sets released in 2005. © David Martin
This 2008 LEGO construction worker, in bright orange overalls, came with a cement mixer in set 5610. © Kent Quon
One of the latest Farm toys to be released in 2010 was this small Farmer set (7566), with a pig, dog, and feeding station. © Christopher Doyle
FIFTY YEARS OF TOWN
Marking half a century of the modern LEGO brick and with it the Town theme, a special Golden Anniversary ‘50s-style town plan set was released in 2008 and was available until the end of 2009. The 1,947-piece set (10184) included a cinema, a gas station with garage and carwash, a town hall, and a town square with water fountain and gold brick statue. On the “50 Years-Town Plan” box was a photograph of Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen playing with the set, an homage to the photograph of him as a boy on the box of the original Town Plan. The attention to detail put into this set, from the movie theater posters and the gas pumps to the newspaper being read by one of the minifigures, made it a fitting tribute to the years of development and design that have gone into so many LEGO sets since 1958.
Coast Guard
In 2008 a distinct coast guard range appeared to complement the Police and Fire sets. The minifigures were markedly different in orange and blue uniforms, and with their own life ring logo. Compared to previous water-based life-savers RES-Q, Coast Guard sets were more realistic and relevant to the everyday working situations of the profession. In the 2008 catalog they fronted the City section on a dramatic spread showing a wrecked vessel’s crew being airlifted to safety. These Coast Guard sets were only available for one year, and included a four-wheel-drive car and jet scooter (7737), a large helicopter with life raft (7738), and the patrol tower which came with a large patrol boat, shark, and daredevil surfer (7739).
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Focusing its efforts on the rejuvenation of the Town sets and the introduction of other narrative-driven play themes, it took a little longer for Space to get the “back-to-basics” treatment, resulting in a fairly quiet decade for the theme. Life on Mars were the first new sets to emerge, continuing with the aliens theme but reintroducing realistic-looking minifigure astronauts. Unlike the more violent cybernetic alien races of UFO and Insectoids, the organic alien life on Mars was not opposed to the presence of the human astronauts, and although there were distinct alien and human sets, they were all geared more toward explorati
on and excavation of the planet than destruction. The color scheme of this theme was not as distinct as previous space themes, due largely to the multicolored alien sets and the introduction of sand colors to reflect the red planet. Due to promotional sets available with Quaker Oats in North America and Kabaya Sweets in Japan, Life on Mars was the space sub-theme with the largest number of sets to be released since Classic Space. These smaller sets comprising predominantly of one minifigure and a small vehicle or spacecraft were accompanied by the full Life on Mars range released in 2001.
Avoiding repeating the minifigure robotic aliens from previous themes, designers opted for a different body shape for the aliens, with long arms articulated at the shoulder and elbow. The bent legs were joined together at the feet, and could not be moved. The aliens had larger heads with no top studs, and their faces were individually styled to give them different looks and mild gender distinctions. The Martians’ skin was green, while their bodies came in a variety of colors. The human visitors were dressed in black, white, gray, blue, and silver spacesuits, with silver breathing apparatus. The four human spacewalkers included a redhead known as BB, a graying, bearded, bald astronaut called Mac, a technical assistant (dressed in blue) with blue-rimmed glasses, and a stubbly doctor with black frames.