http://www.independent.co.uk/news/lego-letter-from-the-1970s-still-offers-a-powerful-message-to-parents-40-years-later-9878303.html

 

Kindof related to "Research Institute." 

 

Lego is killing it in all aspects including Public Relations.

I don't agree with that letter, because if it was correct, what couldn't we found any pink (for instance) bricks in the 70's ?

"The most important thing is to put the right material in their hands".

A dolls house with dark, red and grey bricks ? May look more like a MOTU cavern than Barbie's house.

 

It's all about marketing.

"Oh, we don't want to create some stuff for girls, let's make a letter which states it's all about imagination so the few parents that are upset will be happy".

 

Ok, now sweetie, imagine that this blue brick is pink. Yeah yeah, I know, but lego said "it's imagination that counts".

Edited November 25, 201411 yr by biniou

I don't agree with that letter, because if it was correct, what couldn't we found any pink (for instance) bricks in the 70's ?

"The most important thing is to put the right material in their hands".

A dolls house with dark, red and grey bricks ? May look more like a MOTU cavern than Barbie's house.

 

It's all about marketing.

"Oh, we don't want to create some stuff for girls, let's make a letter which states it's all about imagination so the few parents that are upset will be happy".

 

Ok, now sweetie, imagine that this blue brick is pink. Yeah yeah, I know, but lego said "it's imagination that counts".

For all we know, it was not technically possible to add a pink pigment to bricks.

I think we're missing the point here.This defines for me what LEGO. You are not limited to the design they prescribe for you, if you want to build Cape Caneveral (I did) you can, and with the same bricks, you can build a medieval town or a hospital or whatever springs in your imagination.

Kind of weird remark to say you can't build your imagination with yellow, blue, black, white and red bricks.

For all we know, it was not technically possible to add a pink pigment to bricks.

(...)

Kind of weird remark to say you can't build your imagination with yellow, blue, black, white and red bricks.

I thought it would have been possible to add red and white pigment to plastic.

'>

Red and white bricks are classic colors.

I'm surprised it wasn't possible to do so, thanks for the heads up.

 

About your last sentence, I'm only talking about girly colors (or colors that are supposed to be so*, like light-purple, etc. colors dolls usually wear).

I don't know why you're talking about other colors...

You can make a Ferrari in blue and pretend it's red (if red bricks they didn't exist), ok. You can even play with rocks and wood sticks and pretend these are legos. ^^ Personnally I never had that much imagination.

 

*of course I don't mean they have to be this way... pink for girls, blue for boys... I'm no responsible of this way of thinking, it's another problem...

Edited November 25, 201411 yr by biniou

I thought it would have been possible to add red and white pigment to plastic.

'>

Red and white bricks are classic colors.

I'm surprised it wasn't possible to do so, thanks for the heads up.

 

About your last sentence, I'm only talking about girly colors (or colors that are supposed to be so*, like light-purple, etc. colors dolls usually wear).

I don't know why you're talking about other colors...

You can make a Ferrari in blue and pretend it's red (if red bricks they didn't exist), ok. You can even play with rocks and wood sticks and pretend these are legos. ^^ Personnally I never had that much imagination.

 

*of course I don't mean they have to be this way... pink for girls, blue for boys... I'm no responsible of this way of thinking, it's another problem...

 

I didn't say it was impossible, I implied it could have been an issue at that time. Next time, I won't be lazy and look it up.

But look at it this way. You buy a barbie house and it is what it is. It won't turn into cape caneveral. You buy playmobile or actually almost every toy back then and it remained what it was intended to be. Yes, so LEGO didn't include any special colors stereotyping sexe. They took basic colors, made their minifigs with a yellow head and all same shape. But at least, you could turn the little car you bought in a boat or a stopsign, or whatever you wished for it to be. That's the core of the thought imo, not that LEGO wanted to produce a lame excuse why certain things were not possible with their product.

Edited November 25, 201411 yr by Neosphinx

I understand your point and I don't agree because mine is not only that there were black and grey pieces and not pink bricks, but because all main colors are "dark something". Red, blue, green (big plates). No light colors. That's why I made the conclusion they were for kids only.

Well, it's off-topic I guess so that's it for me now. ^^'

I don't agree with that letter, because if it was correct, what couldn't we found any pink (for instance) bricks in the 70's ?

"The most important thing is to put the right material in their hands".

A dolls house with dark, red and grey bricks ? May look more like a MOTU cavern than Barbie's house.

 

It's all about marketing.

"Oh, we don't want to create some stuff for girls, let's make a letter which states it's all about imagination so the few parents that are upset will be happy".

 

Ok, now sweetie, imagine that this blue brick is pink. Yeah yeah, I know, but lego said "it's imagination that counts".

They did have the Homemaker range in the 70s to be fair, which were clearly aimed at girls. My sister had some, which I used to raid for all the tile pieces they had lol.