The original LEGO patent.
In 2010, LEGO’s patent on its iconic building block design expired. It was 50 years old and according to patent law, its time was up. Competitors were allowed to produce bricks to the same dimensions and layout, and they immediately began doing so. MegaBloks and Character Building are the two you’ll now see in the UK, the latter hawking their ‘Collectable, Constructible and Compatible’ sets in every kid’s TV break. But the funny thing is, when you get ahold of these imitators you realize just how special LEGO really is. The newbies just aren’t as good. They don’t have the perfect sharp edges. They don’t fit together as satisfyingly. And of course they don’t evoke the same somatosensory memories of childhood. It’s a good reminder that genuine product difference is in all the little details, not the larger design.
Image taken from Brickfetish
LEGO and popular culture.
LEGO is an abbreviation of the two Danish words "leg godt," meaning "play well." Which is fitting when you look at the playful ways LEGO has mirrored all aspects of our society and popular culture. People use it as a tool to communicate, not just to play. This site dramatizes the entire bible in LEGO. Check out The book of revelations. It’s genuinely terrifying (I particularly like the ‘God tortures a whore’ diorama). The 2011 news in LEGO Flickr set was picked up by a number of national newspapers, including the Guardian. And of course LEGO dramatisations and re-enactments are a perennial staple on YouTube, from the ever-popular Eddie Izzard Death Star Canteen Sketch to Movie Tributes like this inventive version of the Matrix bullet-time scene.
LEGO Stephen Hawking by Iain Heath from Solent.
LEGO and Hollywood.
Have you noticed how when LEGO partners with a Hollywood property, the result is a property with a new fan-base all of its own? LEGO Star Wars is a great example. This partnership has not only spawned toys, but also video games, books and clothing, which is remarkable when you realize that these are effectively licenses of a license. Now there is even an animated LEGO Star Wars short film – a movie of the toy of the movie! George Lucas has been using the revenues from the LEGO Star Wars partnership to upgrade all six Star Wars features to 3D, and LEGO Indiana Jones has been a tidy little earner for him too. LEGO will be hoping to repeat the Star Wars trick when their LEGO Lord of the Rings Partnership breaks in summer this year.
Image from here.
Bricks to Pixels.
Like all great brands, LEGO has a lot of fans. And it’s keen to look after them. Recently it’s given them their own social network – Rebrick – where they can share their creations and gossip about what’s coming next. Then there’s Brikipedia, which as you’d expect from the name is a Wiki for all things LEGO. And of course there’s the inevitable conventions and get-togethers for the LEGO faithful, such as BrickCon, which is held in Seattle every year. But perhaps more interesting than any of these communities is the LEGO Cuusoo initiative, launched a few years ago in Japan but opened globally last October. This is a site that invites users to submit, and then vote for, new LEGO set ideas. If they can get 10,000 votes for their submission, LEGO will not only produce it, but also give them 1% of the resulting profits. A ‘Minecraft’ submission has just passed review (look up Minecraft if you don’t know what it is) and I’d consider it a personal favour if you could vote for the Back to the Future set so we can hurry it into production.
Image by Mike Stimpson, LEGO photographer
LEGO Architecture Series.
Although LEGO is a supposedly a child’s toy, it has always been admired by designers and engineers, and the brand’s owners have always understood the power of this community’s endorsement. The LEGO Architecture series celebrates iconic buildings with sets that are clearly aimed more at adults than kids. LEGO also encourages professional designers and engineers to tackle difficult construction challenges. There was a great example of this recently, when some researchers decided to try and create a fully functioning LEGO replica of an astronomical clock from ancient Greece. LEGO also know how to take a compliment. Like UNICEF’s LEGO inspired aid bricks, which have compartments for carrying food and water, but can afterwards be stacked together to build a shelter.
Image of The LEGO-inspired UNICEF aid brick, by Psychic Factory.
Issue Image Credit: One of ‘Lego artist’ Nathan Sawaya’s creations.
