Happy 80th Birthday, LEGO!

 

  • Happy 80th Birthday, LEGO!

    Posted by Huw, 10 Aug 2012 15:23. Filed under Miscellaneous.

    Today marks the 80th birthday of the foundation of the LEGO company. The offer for the free birthday cake set from shop.LEGO.com in the USA and Canada has been extended until Monday.

    However, far more interesting than that is this excellent video that has been released today that tells the story of the early years of the company. It's 17 minutes long but is so informative and well animated that you'll love every minute of it:

    Here's to the next 80 years! (Thanks to LegobrandonCP in the forum for bringing this to my attention).


    63 comments, latest one posted 9 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)
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Comments

Posted by CapnRex101 in United Kingdom, 10 Aug 2012 15:31

Here's hoping for another 80 fantastic years of building fun! Happy birthday to LEGO...

Posted by chrismajor2124 in United States, 10 Aug 2012 15:54

Happy Birthday Lego Group! Man it's been a ride. This video was good, I especially loved the animation at the end of some of the modern Lego sets and themes. :D

And I'm getting my cake promo soon.

Posted by DarthLuke824 in United Kingdom, 10 Aug 2012 16:01

That video was really interesting! I knew some about the history but that was great! Happy Birthday LEGO!

Posted by aaronptrck in United States, 10 Aug 2012 16:03

If only they'd choose quality over outsourcing to China.... :/

Posted by adn2377 in Romania, 10 Aug 2012 16:10

Great and touching little movie... Happy Birthday!

Posted by legonair in Switzerland, 10 Aug 2012 16:43

Happy Birthsday LEGO GROUP!
Mooi filmpje, heel erg leuk gedaan.
Op naar de volgende 80 jaren en meer.
groetjes uit zwitsreland

Posted by LegoC10 in United States, 10 Aug 2012 17:06

Happy Birthday! I have no idea what I would do without you! My life would be so empty without building. LEGO has both entertained me for countless hours and broadened my creativity a hundred times over. Thank you for all you have given us. And may the next 80 years allow you to continually prosper. Happy 80th Birthday, LEGO!

Posted by Alemas in Germany, 10 Aug 2012 17:08

Happy Birthday LEGO! :D
Why didn't they use minifigures in the video, though?! :(

Posted by nadnerb112 in United States, 10 Aug 2012 17:29

My birthday is also today, maybe thats why I love Lego so much, lol.

Posted by lego2000 in Netherlands, 10 Aug 2012 17:47

Great animation I know the history of the Lego group like no other. Congratulations on your 80th birthday. On to the next 80 years with Lego.

Posted by CapnRex101 in United Kingdom, 10 Aug 2012 17:57

The video is charming, but it seems to miss a few key events, the invention of the Minifigure, and the arrival of licensed sets to name just two.

Posted by Gandalf1 in United States, 10 Aug 2012 18:24

^You don't think it's decent?

Posted by Mr. Football in United States, 10 Aug 2012 20:09

I put this video on for my kids and their cousins and they loved it. They clapped at the end. Good stuff, Lego. Happy birthday! Never forget your roots.

Posted by Mr. F in Canada, 10 Aug 2012 21:01

A heartwarming and well-deserved tribute. True, I already knew some of the history behind LEGO, but the way it was presented was still impossibly charming. Happy Birthday, you wonderful sons of Billund, and here's to at least another 80 years!

Posted by TooMuchLEGO in United States, 10 Aug 2012 21:08

Did anybody see George from Life of George at 12:23? He also appeared midway through the credits.

Good film! Quite enjoyable, but I was somewhat dissapointed they stopped at LEGOLAND. If only they had gone further.

Ten minutes through, I was quite surprised to hear the "D" word. Not something you hear when it comes from LEGO.

Posted by timmyt15 in United States, 10 Aug 2012 21:37

Great movie but i do agree they should not have stopped it just at Legoland they should've kept it coming to todays sets.

Posted by UtarEmpire in United States, 10 Aug 2012 22:06

Now everyone should know why we get a new fire station every year. Never forget......

Posted by Legolover9531 in United States, 10 Aug 2012 22:25

Happy birthday LEGO! I loved the short, but for some reason youn Kield sounds like Ralph Wiggum from The Simpsons...

Posted by sandtherapy in United States, 11 Aug 2012 00:03

Thank you. I had been functioning in pure appreciation of Lego and all that it entails. Now I am in awe.

Posted by Tradeylouish in New Zealand, 11 Aug 2012 00:10

Happy birthday LEGO! The video was great (although some of the voices were a little strange).

Posted by legoDad42 in United States, 11 Aug 2012 00:14

Charming video. Long Live LEGO!

Posted by Yooha in Europe, 11 Aug 2012 00:15

The sets on the shelf at 15:30! Black Seas Barracuda, M-Tron, Forestmen, ahh!

Posted by RikTheVeggie in Canada, 11 Aug 2012 01:00

Amazing video and very interesting.

Posted by starfire2 in United States, 11 Aug 2012 01:32

I watched it with my family. I loved it!

Posted by brickbrett in Australia, 11 Aug 2012 01:52

To come back from 2 factory fires and develope one of the best long lasting toys of the world is amazing.

Posted by jengafett in United Kingdom, 11 Aug 2012 02:24

I already know most of it since when I was at junior school I did a biography on ole kirk!

Posted by Yoda 56 in United States, 11 Aug 2012 02:32

I really enjoyed the video, it was very interesting to see how LEGO started! I didn't know they struggled so much early on!

Posted by kurttkrueger in United Kingdom, 11 Aug 2012 06:04

Looking at the classic sets on the shelves at the end of he video brings back so many lovely childhood memories. A lovely video.

Posted by coyotelily in United Kingdom, 11 Aug 2012 07:45

Loved it, never realised that Ole never new how successful they were, a little sad about that.

Posted by Heishi in United States, 11 Aug 2012 08:52

Happy Birthday Lego! I've been building since 1975. Thank you for all the fun and creativity your products inspire.

Posted by nightmarevalkyrie in United States, 11 Aug 2012 09:36

Ironic that Ole built the factory on quality over quantity, but his son was the other way around. If this saying were still true why did LEGO make the collectable minifigures in china as well as the hulk promo which is a licensed promo.

Posted by nightmarevalkyrie in United States, 11 Aug 2012 10:22

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Apple company, Microsoft, Nintendo, Square enix, Sony, Brickarms..etc. do you want me to keep going the list goes on.

Posted by Mr Hobbles in United Kingdom, 11 Aug 2012 11:45

Anyone recognise the train set mentioned at 14:10? Can't see it listed on Brickset, unless I'm being daft.

Posted by The Reviewer in United States, 11 Aug 2012 13:08

Great Video, Great animation, but it is a shame it has the "D word" at 10:11.

Posted by nightmarevalkyrie in United States, 11 Aug 2012 13:18

I really don't think the "D" is a cuss word since its mentioned in the bible

Posted by 22896mbw in United States, 11 Aug 2012 14:19

^In the Bible it is used with a different meaning, not an interjection.

Posted by milkbottlec in United Kingdom, 11 Aug 2012 14:22

I do hope as what the video said.
Keep on the quality for only the best! And I do think lots of you here wish to see this!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEGO!
Must share out this video.
Hope to get a Lego cake soon thou, where can I get it in UK?

Posted by f-man in United States, 11 Aug 2012 16:13

It's a great video. I'm impressed.

Posted by lego lore in Italy, 11 Aug 2012 17:02

This story teach that we shouldn't lose confidence in the future and to never surrender. With perseverance and creativity all is possible. The power of immagination is incredible, and lego let us to unleashed it in all its possibilities. Happy birthday LEGO, and thanks for the joy you continue to give us

Posted by stephan3321 in Netherlands, 11 Aug 2012 17:14

Did anyone count how many times they hid the word LEGO in the movie?

Posted by 00cheese in United Kingdom, 11 Aug 2012 18:34

Just saying that I am related to ole kirk

Posted by Namanbricks in United States, 11 Aug 2012 19:00

This is an amazing story.

Posted by The Sly Fox in United Kingdom, 11 Aug 2012 19:27

Charming little video. Made me smile :-)

Posted by Brickmatic in United States, 11 Aug 2012 19:48

A little heavy handed with the irony at 1:05 -->

Ole: "Well, that was the last one... I just... didn't imagine it would come to this."
Wife: "I know. It's hard to understand. But at least now it can't get much worse"
Narrator: "But it did get worse. Shortly after, Ole lost his wife."

Posted by ChicoCheco in Norway, 12 Aug 2012 02:19

Thank You for the video. I learned again something new about Lego. It was very nice story. With a lot of references for the lego-experts. Now I am going to play with a sons from my brother in law. We have a bucket full of bricks, so we will either build a town or a very high tower today. Thank you lego for endless hours of play. Happy birthday!

Posted by pingisa in Slovakia, 12 Aug 2012 02:55

všetko najlepšie LEGO ,je to zabava nielen pre deti ale aj pre dospelých ,verím že budú zas nové témy

Posted by bkoanda in Indonesia, 12 Aug 2012 03:20

Happy birthday LEGO. Congratulations and more "huge" success to come!
I really like the video so much... very inspiring...
Amazing!!

Posted by brix in United Kingdom, 12 Aug 2012 04:34

Very nice video but slightly cheesy :) I found the "only the best is good enough" point interesting - I feel TLG needs to stick to this motto more than it does these days.
Happy Birthday LEGO!!!

Posted by Brick a Ben in France, 12 Aug 2012 08:27

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEGOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!

JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE !!!!!!!!

& Thanks Huw for the link to this video !

Posted by Nightshroud99 in Canada, 12 Aug 2012 12:36

"A little heavy handed with the irony at 1:05 -->

Ole: "Well, that was the last one... I just... didn't imagine it would come to this."
Wife: "I know. It's hard to understand. But at least now it can't get much worse"
Narrator: "But it did get worse. Shortly after, Ole lost his wife."

I have to say that made me lol, at least LEGO managed to fit in some dark humor.

Posted by Multiversal in N/A, 12 Aug 2012 13:45


I like the video, but I have to say that I'm very disappointed in its presentation - I find it downright outrageous that it would be presented as anything but a commercial (the placement of current products might be considered a nice little easter egg for the experts - though it more likely is just for commercial reasons - but the obviously biased self-praise to Lego that's distributed evenly throughout the video marks it clearly as an advertisement).

Also, it's clearly not Kield himself speaking, though I can't be the first to notice that. If it was, he would be able to pronounce his, his father's and his grandfather's names (also, I hate how they're all American, since in my mind, everyone who aren't Americans or Australians speak some sort of British when they speak English). I found the narrator's way of pronouncing Danish names simultaneously hilarious and tear-wrenchingly emberrassing.

But I liked to watch all the Danish texts in the background ("Købmand", etc.). And I have to add that "Det bedste er ikke for godt" really means "The best is not too good".

Posted by CapnRex101 in United Kingdom, 12 Aug 2012 14:13

One other error in the video is that the word 'Lego' in Latin has five real meanings, I read, I choose, I pass through, I collect and I gather. I put together is a very liberal interpretation of this if you ask me.

Posted by rolomolo12345 in United Kingdom, 12 Aug 2012 14:26

Happy bday lego! :D

Posted by Nikola Bathory in Bulgaria, 12 Aug 2012 14:42

The video is great, I got very emotional while watching it! :)

Posted by blazetrooper501 in United States, 12 Aug 2012 19:13

This was so cool happy birthday LEGO only thing I dont like about LEGO is how they ended bionicle

Posted by alanyap in Malaysia, 13 Aug 2012 00:21

I watched this video off my TV screen while enjoying dinner with stacks of LEGO trays on the table / and sofa next to me (was busy with a MOC when I was "interrupted" to eat) . The feeling of affirmation/certainty about this hobby of mine upcreased 100 fold. *wipes manly tears*

Posted by icey in Denmark, 13 Aug 2012 08:45

It's a bit sad to see how they purposely wrote the Christian faith and heritage out of the story. In the biografies their faith in God carried much of the developement and motivated them to keep on in the challenging times.

Posted by rosney in United States, 13 Aug 2012 11:06

I can think of a lot of words much worse than damn. What is this, 1939?

Posted by The Sly Fox in United Kingdom, 13 Aug 2012 16:55

Capn Rex ...
You may add select and appoint to that list of yours.
Strange though, I was always led to believe it was 'I play' back in my school days

Posted by Diederik in Netherlands, 14 Aug 2012 09:38

Yeah, an okay movie, though a bit sentimental and not a word about Kiddicraft or patents....

Posted by Rocka 3.0 in United States, 14 Aug 2012 22:23

Happy Borthday Lego! But I was very surprised that guy on the ferry said (Not trying to sound like a 7 year old) the D word.

Posted by lilac_cloud in United Kingdom, 15 Aug 2012 04:41

This was a nice, although sentimental movie. I'm glad they persevered though otherwise we would have been in a Legoless world. Too horrible to imagine!

Why did UK Lego brand stores not have a birthday promotion also or did I miss it? Doesn't Lego think Europeans would also like a slice of cake to celebrate?

Posted by Joefish in United Kingdom, 15 Aug 2012 09:46

Great animation, though I foud the syrupy American narrators's voice far too corny, particularly towards the end when it becomes obvious who it is that's supposed to be talking. I'm sure a voice with at least a hint of the right accent would have better a better fit.

Commenting has ended on this article.