For a number of years, the oil company, Shell, has been controversial and criticised, in particular over drilling in the Arctic. Since one of its oil drilling platforms ran aground in the region in 2013, the company had left the area. However, after it presented new plans for potential exploration projects off Alaska in 2015, the environmental NGO, Greenpeace, attacked it in another way: on its image and that of its commercial partners.
Shell has signed partnerships with various brands to promote its image and activities. Common practice in sales, these company associations are not always profitable for both sides. Thus, Greenpeace singled out Shell's activities by attacking Lego, with which the oil company is partnered. Since 2011, the toy company has sold Shell-branded Lego sets (petrol station, lorries, cars with the Ferrari/Shell brand...).
In addition to a petition signed by 6 million people and actions carried out in Legoland parks, in the brand's stores and in Shell petrol stations, Greenpeace published a video misrepresenting the famous bricks and people, which was not appreciated by Lego managers.
In a press release, the toy brand's CEO, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, announced that the contract linking Lego and Shell would not be renewed. But whilst this news is a victory for the NGO and the 6 million people that signed the petition, for the Danish brand it is a mixed picture.
"The Greenpeace campaign uses the LEGO brand to target Shell. As we have stated before, we firmly believe Greenpeace ought to have a direct conversation with Shell.The LEGO brand, and everyone who enjoys creative play, should never have become part of Greenpeace’s dispute with Shell.
[...] We do not agree with the tactics used by Greenpeace that may have created misunderstandings among our stakeholders about the way we operate; and we want to ensure our attention is not diverted from our commitment to delivering creative and inspiring play experiences.
The long-term co-promotion contract we entered with Shell in 2011 delivers on the objective of bringing LEGO bricks into the hands of many children, and we will honour it – as we would with any contract we enter".
However, Lego's CEO stated that "as things currently stand, we will not renew the co-promotion contract with Shell when the present contract ends".
* Photo of a model launched in 1978, from the Brickset site : http://brickset.com/sets/377-1/Shell-Service-Station
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