Ole Kirk Christiansen, who started his business in Billund in Denmark in 1932, manufactured wooden toys and furniture. His business was not particularly profitable and he struggled throughout the 1930s. In 1934, he began to concentrate on toys and changed the name to LEGO. It’s an abbreviation of «leg godt» which is the Danish word that means «play well».
The company expanded into other Nordic countries in the 1960s. The company also invented smaller bricks that were ideal for children with small hands and named it DUPLO after the Latin word duplex (two-fold). This allowed young children to build more detailed models.
In the 1970s, Lego began to add new features to make their products stand out from the other brands. They introduced different faces to the miniature figures. This made the characters appear more realistic and allowed them to express different expressions and emotions. The Lego Group added wheels to their bricks, allowing them to construct vehicles and other machines.
The company’s next step was when it launched dedicated themes — a system within the system that let users to build a particular world or scenario. The company was able boost its brand recognition and attract younger audiences. In addition the company increased its production by opening factories in South Korea, Malaysia, and Brazil.