The LEGO® Story
Summary
TLDRThe script narrates the inspiring story of LEGO's origins, from the struggles of carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen to the innovative toy brand we know today. It details the hardships, creative solutions, and the unwavering commitment to quality that shaped LEGO's success. The narrative highlights the company's evolution from wooden toys to the iconic LEGO system, emphasizing the importance of imagination and creativity in children's play.
Takeaways
- 😀 Ole Kirk Kristiansen, a skilled carpenter, founded the LEGO company during a time of personal and financial hardship.
- 🏗️ The initial LEGO product was wooden toys, which Ole started making after losing his carpentry business.
- 👦 Ole's idea to make toys was inspired by his sons' joy with his small invention, leading him to believe there was a market for such products.
- 📈 The business began to grow after a wholesaler placed a large order for the high-quality wooden toys produced by Ole and his son Gottfried.
- 💸 A significant setback occurred when the wholesaler filed for bankruptcy, leaving Ole with a large stock of unsold toys.
- 🚗 Ole personally took on the task of selling the toys, which he managed to do successfully despite not being a natural salesman.
- 🔄 The company's name 'LEGO' was chosen for its meaning in Latin, 'I put together', which aligns with the building nature of their toys.
- 🔥 A devastating fire in 1942 destroyed the LEGO workshop, but Ole was determined to rebuild and continue the business.
- 🛠️ The introduction of a plastic molding machine allowed LEGO to expand its product line beyond wooden toys, eventually leading to the creation of the iconic LEGO bricks.
- 🧩 The development of the LEGO system of play, which enabled children to build houses and learn about traffic safety, was a breakthrough for the company.
- 🌐 Gottfried's idea to put LEGO into a system and focus on the construction aspect of the toys led to international success and the expansion of the LEGO universe.
Q & A
Who was the founder of the LEGO company?
-The founder of the LEGO company was a skilled carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen.
What was the initial business of Ole Kirk Christiansen before he started making toys?
-Ole Kirk Christiansen initially had his own carpentry company, but due to hard times, he had to dismiss his last worker and close down the workshop.
What event led Ole Kirk Christiansen to consider making toys?
-Ole Kirk Christiansen got the idea to make toys after he created a little invention that made his sons very happy.
What was the first significant order for Ole's wooden toys?
-The first significant order for Ole's wooden toys came from a wholesaler from Fredericia who was impressed with the quality of the toys.
What unfortunate event occurred after Ole received a large order from a wholesaler?
-After receiving a large order, Ole found out that the wholesaler had filed for bankruptcy and couldn't buy the toys that had been ordered.
What did Ole Kirk Christiansen decide to do with the toys that couldn't be sold due to the wholesaler's bankruptcy?
-Ole decided to drive around and sell the toys himself, despite not being a very good salesman.
What is the meaning of the name 'LEGO' in Latin?
-In Latin, the word 'LEGO' means 'I put together'.
What was the breakthrough product that led to the success of LEGO's plastic toys?
-The breakthrough product was the gray Ferguson tractor, which marked the success of LEGO's plastic toys.
What was Gottfried's idea to improve the clutch power of LEGO bricks?
-Gottfried noticed that LEGO bricks had a better clutch power when they had tubes inside, leading to a whole construction system with endless possibilities.
What was the concept behind the 'LEGO System of Play'?
-The 'LEGO System of Play' was designed to give children a realistic town setting to build houses from LEGO bricks, stimulating their imagination and creativity.
What significant infrastructure did Gottfried build to facilitate the global sale of LEGO toys?
-Gottfried built an airport, Billund Airport, to make it easier to sell LEGO toys worldwide.
What was the visitor count for the first year of LEGOLAND?
-In the first year, LEGOLAND had six hundred thousand visitors.
What is the core belief of the LEGO company regarding the quality of their products?
-The core belief of the LEGO company is that 'only the best is good enough' because children deserve the best.
Outlines
😀 The Origin of LEGO and Ole Kirk Christiansen's Journey
This paragraph introduces the LEGO brand's humble beginnings with Ole Kirk Christiansen, a skilled carpenter who, during a difficult financial period, had to let go of his last employee. After a tragic loss of his wife, Ole found inspiration in his sons and decided to venture into toy-making, using leftover wood from his carpentry business. The story highlights Ole's resilience and creativity, which led to the establishment of a toy workshop in Billund, where high-quality wooden toys were produced. A significant turning point came when a wholesaler from Fredericia placed a large order, marking the start of LEGO's commercial success.
🛠️ The LEGO Brand and Gottfried's Innovations
The narrative continues with the evolution of the LEGO company under Ole's leadership, focusing on the importance of quality and the adoption of the name 'LEGO,' which means 'I put together' in Latin. Despite initial financial struggles, the company began to thrive, leading to the purchase of a milling machine to improve toy production. A critical lesson on maintaining high standards is illustrated through Gottfried's attempt to cut costs on lacquer, which Ole did not approve. The story also covers a devastating fire in 1942 that destroyed the workshop but did not deter the family from rebuilding and eventually exploring new opportunities with plastic toys, including the iconic LEGO bricks.
🚜 The Introduction of the LEGO System and Gottfried's Salesmanship
This paragraph delves into the innovative 'LEGO System of Play,' which allowed children to build houses and understand traffic safety, marking a significant breakthrough in the toy industry. The system's popularity led to international sales, but it also faced challenges, such as the bricks' inability to support weight without falling apart. Gottfried's ingenuity in improving the clutch power of the bricks by incorporating tubes revolutionized LEGO into a versatile construction system. The story also recounts Gottfried's personal efforts to sell LEGO products during a financial crisis and his vision for expanding the company's reach through an airport and a larger exhibition space.
🌟 The Expansion of LEGO and the Birth of LEGOLAND
The final paragraph highlights the ambitious plans of Gottfried to build an airport for easier global sales and the creation of LEGOLAND, an amusement park made entirely of LEGO bricks. The park's success, with 600,000 visitors in its first year, exceeded all expectations. The narrative concludes with a reflection on the legacy of quality and innovation instilled by Ole and carried forward by Gottfried, emphasizing the company's commitment to providing children with the best possible toys that inspire creativity and learning.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Lego
💡Ole Kirk Christiansen
💡Innovation
💡Quality
💡Resilience
💡System of Play
💡Plastic Molding Machine
💡Clutch Power
💡LEGOLAND
💡Imagination
💡Endless Possibilities
Highlights
The origin of the name LEGO predates the plastic brick, with a history rooted in the founder's name and the Danish word for 'play well'.
Ole Kirk Christiansen, a skilled carpenter, founded the company during a period of hardship, including the loss of his last worker and his wife.
Ole's invention of a toy brought joy to his sons, inspiring him to venture into toy production using leftover wood from his carpentry business.
The first significant business opportunity came when a wholesaler from Fredericia placed a large order for the high-quality wooden toys.
A devastating setback occurred when the wholesaler filed for bankruptcy, leaving Ole with an unsold inventory of toys.
Ole's perseverance led him to personally sell the toys, despite being a poor salesman, to ensure a Christmas meal for his family.
The company's name 'LEGO' was chosen for its meaning in Latin 'I put together', which was well received and helped the company to progress.
Gottfried, one of Ole's sons, played a crucial role in improving production and sales, despite a disagreement over cutting costs on lacquer.
A catastrophic fire in 1942 destroyed the LEGO workshop, but Ole was determined to rebuild and continue the business.
The introduction of a plastic molding machine marked a significant shift in LEGO's production, starting with plastic teddy bears and rattles.
The launch of the gray Ferguson tractor as a plastic toy marked the beginning of LEGO's success in the plastic toy market.
Gottfried's personal sales tour across the country helped LEGO recover from a financial crisis due to overstock.
The concept of a 'system' in toys was introduced by Gottfried, aiming to strengthen children's imagination and creativity through LEGO.
The first LEGO system of play allowed children to build houses and learn about traffic safety, a breakthrough in the toy industry.
Gottfried's observation that LEGO bricks with tubes inside had better clutch power led to the development of a versatile construction system.
Ole's passing left Gottfried to lead the company through another fire, which destroyed most of the wood production, but he decided to focus solely on the LEGO system.
The opening of Billund Airport was part of Gottfried's plan to expand LEGO's reach and facilitate global sales.
The creation of LEGOLAND as an amusement park was inspired by the need for a larger space to display LEGO models and attract visitors.
LEGO's philosophy of 'only the best is good enough' has been a guiding principle from Ole's dedication to quality to Gottfried's innovation.
Transcripts
you've probably seen one of these a lego
brick but have you ever wondered how it
all started and why it's called lego
actually the name is much older than
this plastic brick are you curious
let me tell you how it all began
many years ago there was a skilled and
hard-working carpenter named ole kirk
christensen
ole was a respected carpenter with his
own company but times were hard so he
didn't have much money and had to
dismiss his last worker
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come on in
i've closed down the workshop and packed
my things thank you
i suppose i'd better write you a
paycheck
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take care
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well
that was the last one
i just didn't imagine that it would come
to this i know
it's hard to understand
but at least now it can't get much worse
but it did get worse
shortly after oli lost his wife
but ole was a special person he wasn't
the type that gave up and with the
responsibility of his four sons he had
to think of something
oli had gotten an idea and for him it
never took long to put an idea into
action
ole's little invention made his boys so
happy that he thought maybe he should
start making toys
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ole decided to give it a try luckily he
had saved up a lot of wood from the
carpentry production he could now use it
to make toys
time passed by and even though olay was
a skilled carpenter and had a good eye
for quality and detail sales were very
slow luckily one of his sons gottfried
started helping out his dad after school
together they just barely managed to
keep up the production
eventually word began to spread that
wooden toys of the finest quality were
being made in the little workshop in
billund
one day a man drove into town a man who
would change olay's future
he was a wholesaler from fredericia i've
heard that you're making some very nice
wooden toys
well one does his best the wholesaler
was very impressed with all the wooden
toys and placed a big order before he
left
now there's finally someone who can see
the opportunities in what we're doing
look at this
the wholesaler wants to put a lot of our
toys into his store for the holidays
it's going to be a good christmas this
year
but we'll be busy
now there was a lot to do in the little
workshop and olleh could re-hire his
former workers olay only used the
highest quality wood which was
hand-picked and very carefully prepared
they worked day and night to get the
order finished so the wholesaler could
get the toys out in stores before
christmas
is there something wrong dad
i'm afraid that we're in big trouble
in the middle of their work olay
received a letter saying that the
wholesaler had filed for bankruptcy and
couldn't buy the toys that he had
ordered
but what are you gonna do
what about christmas
now we can't even afford food
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i'll do it
what are you gonna do dad
i'll do it myself
i'll drive around selling the toys
there was no time to lose ole packed the
car with all the toys and drove off
olay was a very good toy maker but was
not a very good salesman
he didn't like praising himself or
talking about how carefully the toys had
been made
but he had to keep trying if he was
going to sell anything
this is going to be a blast
is there anything you're interested in
it looks exciting but i don't have a lot
of money right now maybe we could trade
and call it even
well
i would prefer money
but
in the end he succeeded in selling all
the toys
he didn't receive as much money as he
had hoped but the family managed and
they had plenty of food for christmas
time passed by but the toys didn't sell
as quickly as they had expected
ole thought perhaps the company needed a
good name
what should it be
it has to be a short word i want it to
convey playing well in danish playing
well is called lie gut
what should it be what should it be
yeah if only i could get some sort of a
sign
lego as you can see olay himself ended
up finding a very suitable name but what
he didn't know was that in latin the
word lego means i put together
the name lego was well received and the
company slowly started to move forward
we have made three thousand crowns this
year and we have more orders than usual
did you say three thousand crowns
then you need to see what i've been
looking at
even though gottfried wasn't comfortable
spending money on a milling machine
he could see that it was useful and that
the quality of the toys improved could
you finish the last batch and get it
ready for shipping i will
dad dad i saved a lot of money for the
company today really
how
i figured we could save money in the
lacquer so i only coded the ducks twice
instead of three times
you what
unfortunately gottfried's idea didn't go
over well with olei oli made gottfried
unpack all the ducks himself give them
the last layer of lacquer and bring them
back to the train station ole believed
in high quality and not cheating his
customers when gottfried returned olli
explained that that wasn't the way to
create a good brand this little lesson
opened gottfried's eyes to the fact that
every detail matters and only the best
is good enough in the late 1930s lego
was making a profit even when the second
world war broke out they tried to make
the best out of a difficult time it
seemed nothing could go wrong
but a stormy night in 1942 changed their
luck
there's a fire the workshop is on fire
but when the firemen arrived they were
unable to save the workshop
it burned to the ground and all the
drawings and models were destroyed
ole was beginning to lose hope all that
he had worked for was gone and he almost
lost his company but being responsible
for his children and workers inspired
him to rebuild lego
a new factory was constructed
soon the production of wooden toys
started again
the little company fought its way back
into the market
gradually the lego factory began to run
smoothly and ole started looking for new
challenges
one day he went to copenhagen to look at
a new machine that had just arrived in
denmark it was a plastic molding machine
and ole was very excited about it
should we buy it it sure is a good
bargain and it will give us a lot of
opportunities
well it does sound interesting but it is
a lot of money i'll take that as a yes
when the plastic molding machine finally
arrived ole started making little
plastic teddy bears and rattles
but he still had the plastic bricks that
he had received at the fair there was
something about them that he couldn't
stop thinking about and even though no
one else could see the potential in them
ollie decided to redesign and put them
into production
but it was when lego first launched the
gray ferguson tractor that the plastic
toys became a success
unfortunately the sales were dropping
during the summer and the company had
too many toys in stock this can't be
right of course our products can be sold
the whole year not only for christmas
godfrey decided that he would go out and
sell the toys himself
godfrey brought his wife edith as
company and moral support
if you can't get cash then
we need butter and eggs
well it wasn't that bad
gottfried was a success in his trip
around the country which helped lego to
get out of its financial crisis
they reached home just in time for ole's
birthday party ole turned 60 and the
whole family was gathered to celebrate
with him
well i guess it was a long trip around
the country
hey i got an idea uh listen listen what
about a picture with the three
generations everyone thought that was a
good idea and we were placed on the sofa
with all the presents and flowers around
us
on a business trip to england gottfried
met the head of a big shopping center on
his way home they discussed the toy
industry and the conversation would be
very important to the future of lego
damn this industry i just think that
toys are no good nowadays
what do you mean i think they're working
very well oh they work fine sure but
there's no system in anything
system
system
hmm
there isn't any system what in the world
are you doing girlfriend there isn't any
system the toys need an idea and a
system built around it
i want to put system into play
children have only been offered
ready-made solutions they need something
different that will strengthen their
imagination and creativity
so you're trying to put lego into a
system
interesting
that same year lego started producing
the first lego system of play children
could now build houses from the lego
bricks the town plan gave play a
realistic town setting and with this
children learned about traffic safety my
sisters and i could play with the new
lego system for hours
some people said we were the luckiest
children in the world because we grew up
in a toy factory
it was a huge breakthrough and gottfried
decided to try selling it outside of
denmark the system of play was so
popular that they managed to sell it to
many countries
[Music]
look what i just built that is really
nice kell even though lego was meant for
only building houses there was still a
lot of opportunity
there was just one problem hmm
i can't lift it up it
it keeps falling apart
that made gottfried wonder he wanted to
find a way to make the lego bricks stick
together
but that was easier said than done
gottfried noticed that the lego bricks
got a better clutch power with tubes
inside
now it was no longer just bricks but a
whole construction system with endless
possibilities
this was groundbreaking for the lego
product with a child's imagination lego
could be anything in the world over and
over again
the imagination is the limit look dad
now i can build everything
unfortunately olay never got to see how
successful the little brick actually
became
gottfried was left on his own and he had
to go through another fire at lego that
destroyed most of the wood production
just like his father gottfried knew that
he had to try to get the best out of any
situation and never give up
gottfried took the hard times with his
head held high
as sales grew the company also got
bigger
he had to think ahead and he decided not
to resume the production of wooden toys
and to only focus on the lego system
it turned out to be a great decision
many new models were built and lego got
stronger in the toy industry
sir which one of these do you think is
the best
um
ah that one even though it got busier at
lego godfrey still had bigger plans now
he wanted to build an airport so it
would be easier to sell his toys to the
whole world
like father like son it didn't take long
to put his idea into action
only three years later billand airport
was open
the many guests and business connections
who visited the company always wanted to
see the modeling department
gradually it got so crowded that it was
hard for the employees to keep up their
work i think we better wait a while
gottfried could see that something had
to be done
he needed a bigger place to display the
lego models
uh i don't want to interrupt so i'll
just put this package of our new lego
train uh on the table
just put it there
train
the idea grew quickly from an exhibition
room to an amusement park
and then we could have a tower so you
could look over the whole park from
above the whole town
it will be a land made out of lego
legoland
well it looks interesting but how many
visitors are you actually counting on
well i guess um
200
300 000 300 000
even though it sounded like a lot my dad
was actually pretty far off the mark
there were six hundred thousand guests
the very first year
my family and i were there to greet the
guests we've kept up this tradition ever
since
now you know how it all began
lego wouldn't be what it is today if it
hadn't been for my grandfather's sense
of quality and search for perfection
my father firmly believed in the endless
possibilities of the lego system i seek
to take the lego idea even further
encouraging children to explore
experience and express their own world a
world without limits
and we are still convinced that only the
best is good enough because children
deserve the best
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you
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