In 1932, a carpenter named Ole Kirk Kristiansen started making wooden toys in a small workshop in Billund, Denmark.
He named the tiny company LEGO, after the Danish acronym for "Leg Godt", which means "have fun".
Ole probably never imagined that 90 years later, the small workshop would become a "block kingdom" with over 24,000 employees, five factories, 30+ product lines and sales in 118 countries worldwide. The colorful little pieces are a hit with kids and adults alike.
Yes, the Lego you grew up with is 90 years old.
It started with a wooden duck
To celebrate its 90th anniversary, LEGO has released a "90 Years of Play" set that condenses 15 classic block-themed minis, most of which have long been discontinued and discontinued.
In order to choose the most popular and representative theme blocks, LEGO even launched a poll for fans in early 2021, using the results for reference.
A set so full of emotion that new players salivate at the sight of it and veteran players tear up at the sight of it. Naturally, you can't miss it, you have to play with it!
The packaging is marked with the years 1932 - 2020, in addition to the yellow castle and pirate series Black Sea Barracuda, which are more familiar to older players, there are also the Phantom Ninja series in recent years, and the pineapple pencil holder that children can now buy to DIY. This box, rounded up, is the chronicle of Lego blocks.
This silly smiling wooden duck is where it all began.
▲ The original wooden duck from Soul in 1932 (not in the set)
Although LEGO was founded in 1932, the transition from wooden toys to building block pellets took some time to figure out. It wasn't until 1946 that Ole bought the first injection molding machine; in 1949, LEGO made its first plastic blocks, known at the time as "auto-bonding blocks".
Based on these blocks, Ole's son Godtfred later pioneered the 'Lego Play System', which he believed that the greater the number of modular blocks, the greater the number of possibilities - some mathematicians later confirmed that there were more than 915 million ways to put together a simple six-piece 2×4 block pellet.
▲ 90th Anniversary Replica
In 1958, the coupling system for LEGO pellets was patented and the design has remained the same ever since. This also means that the Lego blocks you buy today are still perfectly compatible with the out-of-print versions produced over 60 years ago that still click together.
The LEGO Electric Train, launched in 1966, can be powered by a 4.5V battery.
▲ 90th Anniversary Replica
The year 1978 was a very important year for LEGO. It was the year that Ole's grandson Kjeld came up with the concept of 'systematic play' and LEGO began to introduce themes such as the Castle Series, the Space Series and the Towns Series.
▲ 1979 Classic Space Series
▲ 90th Anniversary Airship Replica (left)
Also, as any fan who plays Lego knows, the minifigure boy is the soulful presence in the scene.
Also in this year, iterations of LEGO minifigures with smiley faces & movable arms and legs debuted for a more immersive role-playing experience.
Since then, it can be a knight living in a medieval castle or an astronaut exploring the unknown in a spaceship, performing a hundred different flavors by changing costumes, hairstyles and props held in the hands.
▲ 1978 The Castle series was launched, with the little man with a sword and a mount, and a smile.
Niels Milan Pedersen, a LEGO designer for 42 years, was asked what his favorite LEGO set was, and he replied that it was the pirate-themed Black Sea Barracuda, which came out in 1989.
▲ 90th Anniversary Black Sea Barracuda Replica
Because of the inclusion of a backstory with a clear distinction between the good and the bad, this is the first time that the designers have finally been able to let loose to draw different expressions on the faces of the LEGO minifigures. The pirate captain wears a menacing skull cap and eye patch, has his hands replaced with hooks, and has lost a leg; while some of the other pirates have scruffy effects like thick beards.
Other classics in "90 Years of Play" are also highlights, such as the 2001 release of the BioShock series, which is said to have been LEGO's best-selling product from 2000-2010.
▲ Bioshock Replica
What middle-aged boy hasn't dreamed of being a ninja?The 2013 series of Bubble Ninja was so popular that it was later adapted into a 15-season long-running anime series.
▲ Phantom Ninja Replica
And the pink-looking Best Friends series, which follows the lives and stories of five girls who break the stereotype that only boys play with blocks, has helped Lego surpass Mattel, which owns Barbie, to become one of the world's largest toy companies.
▲ 2017 Good Friends Collection Replica
LEGO has told stories and made brains for friends big and small over the past 90 years, and not just in this classic set.
Architecture, art, mechanics, cities, movie IP co-branding ...... To date, men and women, young and old, from 104 years old down to 4 years old can find their favorite LEGO-themed sets and enjoy the concentration and inspiration that comes from putting together the blocks.
No matter how old, long live creation!
LEGO believes that small building blocks can stimulate imagination and creativity. And Lego's own response to the electronic screen crisis over the past 20 years has been a creative explosion.
When it comes to the 'old drivers' of the co-branding world these days, there's definitely no shortage of Lego.
On the one hand, LEGO has been working with a number of IPs such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and Batman since 1999, and continues to release co-branded plastic toys.
▲ Lego x Super Mario
On the other hand, LEGO is also reaching out to games, movies and variety shows in a bid to bring LEGO minifigures to more popular entertainment for the masses. For example, in 2014 it partnered with Warner Pictures on The LEGO Movie; this year it launched the LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Chronicles game, which topped the sales charts; and last month it announced it was partnering with Fortnite developer Epic to create a safe, fun metaverse for kids.
▲ The Lego Movie, The Lego Minions on the Big Screen and More
When plastic bricks become a cultural icon, Lego's crossover into fashionable clothing seems logical.
Last year, LEGO surprised Adidas with a joint sneaker, replacing the classic three-way bar with a free combination of LEGO building blocks that can be used every day. Before that, it also collaborated with Levi's to offer playful jeans and sweatshirts.
In addition, LEGO is also exploring the layout in the field of education and theme parks, responding positively to topics such as sustainability and accessibility ...... It can be said that LEGO is not only encouraging friends of all sizes to have fun, but is also in a playful mood itself, realizing various whimsical ideas.
▲ Braille Building Blocks for Visually Impaired Children
When it comes to LEGO's seemingly endless stream of ideas, one small incident from 1998 has to be mentioned.
Back then, LEGO partnered with MIT to launch the Mindstorms line, which could be used to develop programmable robots. Originally launched for children, within 3 months of its release, thousands of adult users had cracked and hacked into its code to make modifications.
The shocked LEGO has two options, either to put up a high wall and resort to legal action against the hackers, or to be open about it and even use it as an opportunity to start an inspired exchange with users.
Kjeld, a third-generation Lego family member, chose the latter, saying.
We should be a company that produces products to allow people to create creatively.
▲ Kjeld with Mindstorms, from the documentary "The World of Lego
The collision opened up the LEGO mind, and the designers went from working behind closed doors to drawing inspiration from outside, and they gradually noticed that there were more LEGO fans whose ideas were shining through.
Chicago architect Adam Reed Tucker is one such example.
Since 2006, he has been making models of landmarks with LEGO blocks, restoring skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building in New York and impressing the entire LEGO community. Later, the LEGO designer developed a deep collaboration with Adam, which eventually led to the incubation and birth of the LEGO Architecture series.
In 2008, LEGO decided to launch an official fan idea platform, Lego Cuusoo (later renamed Lego Ideas).
Through this platform, LEGO can periodically post events or contests inviting fans to participate (such as voting for the 90th anniversary set), and fans can upload their own LEGO creations. If the entry gets enough votes, LEGO will then have an internal discussion about whether it is suitable for mass production.
Like the recently released Van Gogh's Starry Night, from a student's spare time messing around in Hong Kong, China.
This form of communication, with a 'dream come true' romance, gives all players the opportunity to become the designers of future LEGO products.
▲ Jamie Berard, a LEGO designer, also started out just piling in to play among adult fans of LEGO (AFOLs)
The 2022 LEGO Play Report surveyed more than 55,000 parents and children in more than 30 countries and territories around the world and found that nearly all parents believe that children's creativity (93%), communication skills (92%), problem-solving skills (92%) and self-confidence (91%) are enhanced through play.
The benefits of play are never limited to children, but Lego lovers around the world feel the joy and freedom of creation with these tiny building blocks.
Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park, has said in interviews that LEGO is like a tree cave for him - while it's certainly creative to put together LEGO blocks in the sky, it's also very therapeutic to occasionally follow the instructions for step-by-step building.
And for more grown-ups, the more affection for Lego blocks is probably the ability to go back to childhood in seconds whenever they want.
Put down the pressure of study and work, forget about the mortgage, car loan, marriage, childcare and other worries, focus on the moment, be fascinated by the colorful block particles in front of you, and even forget to eat and sleep, just to quickly put together a set of Lego, so that you can show off with friends how cool their toys.
What moment could be more playful and childlike and adorable than that?
Someone once asked children what they thought of adults who played with Legos, and the answer was "They're just tall kids!
I agree 100%.
After all, who wants to grow up if they can stay a kid?