This photo of a note to parents, purportedly printed on a pamphlet included in a LEGO set from the 1970s, has been making laps around the Internet. The legitimacy of the note, which is noteworthy for its egalitarian tone, has been called into question – but we can now confirm its authenticity. UPDATE: LEGO has responded to our request for comment, and the note is authentic. See below for details. A photo of the note was posted to imgur yesterday by redditor fryd_, where it's received a lot of attention. It's also gained purchase on Twitter. As of this posting, this tweet by @henrywarren has been retweeted over three-thousand times:We think so, too. So do a lot of other people. But the legitimacy of the note has been called into question. "Not because the message is bad, but I'd be skeptical about the authenticity of this," reads one of the top comments from the original post. On Twitter, others have flagged the note's typesetting and LEGO logo as anachronistic. At Boing Boing, Rob Beschizza wonders aloud how likely it is "that Lego would have used a proportional Times-esque typeface—with such sloppy layout—in the early 1970s."
There's also the lack of evidence from the original photographer, I had no idea this would blow up so much, so didn't take more photos but this was at my partner's Grandma's house, on the back page of a pamphlet that came with a set from 73 she still has. There was a blonde girl on the front with a white Lego house. Sorry I don't have more info... So – is it a fake?Update: Most definitely not! It took LEGO a little while to get back to us, but Roar Rude Trangbæk of LEGO corporate communications has confirmed to io9 that the document is real: Is the text authentic? Yes, the text is from 1974 and was a part of a pamphlet showing a variety of LEGO doll house products targeted girls aged 4 and up from the 1970’s The catalogue was included with select sets in the doll house series in 1974. The text remains relevant to this day – our focus has always been, and remains to bring creative play experiences to all children in the world, based on the LEGO brick and the LEGO system – ultimately enabling children to build and create whatever they can imagine.
This is visible today across the entire product range from the LEGO Group – every LEGO product is based on the LEGO system and this creative building experience. I've also included the evidence we originally presented in the leadup to LEGO's official response: The logo in the note is the one you would expect to find in a LEGO pamphlet from the seventies, and is subtly but noticeably different from the more modern LEGO logo, which was updated in 1998: As for the doubts raised regarding the note's font and layout, there's plenty of evidence that LEGO used Times-like font and sloppy typesetting in the 1970s. But the most compelling evidence of all comes in the form of several scans, made of the German version of the same 1974 LEGO pamphlet. Here's the corresponding page: Here's Google's translation of the analogous excerpt, which begins at the end of the first paragraph: Whether boy or girl, LEGO sets no limits to the imagination. A girl builds a spaceship.
A boy plays with the doll's house; because a dollhouse is human. Playing with a spaceship, however, is more interesting and exciting. But the important thing is that you get the right match material in the hands. Only then you can feel free to create and play. It's worth pointing out that this is not the only example of LEGO's egalitarian marketing techniques from this time period. Consider the now-famous ad pictured below, which originally ran in 1981: LEGO's shift toward more gender-targeted marketing strategies – beginning in the late seventies, and ramping up in the mid-eighties – has also been well-documented by Anita Sarkeesian in her two part series on LEGO and Gender: recent gaffes not withstanding, LEGO has taken a number of steps as of late to bridge the gender gap in its minifig sets. What happened to DESIGN byME? The original Design byMe vision was for a unique customization service, where consumers could design whatever they imagined on their computer, and buy the real model in their own LEGO box.
Design byMe attracted several million people each year to build a huge range of amazing creations using the LEGO Digital Designer (LDD) software. Despite this success, the overall Design byMe experience has struggled to live up to the quality standards for a LEGO service. As a result, the LEGO® Design byME service was closed in January 2012. Where did my models go? You can still design what you want with LEGO Digital Designer and upload models into a public gallery on the new LEGO Digital Designer website. All of your old existing models have been transferred the new LDD gallery . You will also be able to generate building instructions from LEGO Digital Designer to build your models. What about other Custom products? This is not the end of customization for the LEGO Group, but a revision. We believe in the future of customization, but the service we offer has to be right for our consumers. If you wish to buy bricks separately, you can use our Pick a Brick service.
The LEGO Design byME and the LEGO Factory team would like to thank you all for six great years of custom building! Please contact our consumer service department if you have any additional questions.The best Lego sets aren't just the ones that will make your kids squeal with delight once they see the box. The true mark is how they put it together and how long they enjoy it once the initial building is done. Most sets give a blueprint with simple, step-by-step instructions. While some kids follow these instructions to the letter, others see them as guidelines and free-build their way to something completely unique."The beauty of Lego is that you can do both: you can slavishly follow the set instructions, one step at a time, or you can chuck them aside and create something entirely new," says Dr. Jon Sutton, a Lego enthusiast and the managing editor of "The Psychologist" for the British Psychological Society. "Some people bemoan the fact that the sets [are] more about building the latest movie tie-in than it used to be.
I'm not sure I agree: it's good for kids to have the opportunity to do both set and free-building, and in my experience they do. And when I see how my boys play with Lego -- together, constructively, literally building on each other's ideas -- it makes all the money I've spent on Legos feel worthwhile!"While the branded sets come and go based on popularity of movies and licensed characters, the best ones are the free-building sets that keep kids and adults coming back, according to Karen Nolan, who handles public relations for Lego. "Lego City, Lego Friends, Lego Star Wars, Lego Duplo and Lego Classic have been some of our best sellers this year -- in fact, year over year."Pick up some of those top toys, or try one of these best Lego sets for kids:1) Lego Juniors Fire SuitcaseThe Lego Juniors Fire Suitcase is a great carrying case for fun with vehicles and mini figures on the go.2) Lego Juniors Pirate Treasure Hunt SetKids get a quick start and lots of imaginative play options with the Lego Juniors Pirate Treasure Hunt Set.3) Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick BoxStart your kids' collection with the 484 assorted pieces
, a storage box and building ideas found in the Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box.4) Lego Education Community Mini FiguresCreated for the school setting, the Lego Education Community Mini Figures set satisfies even the most Lego-obsessed kid out there, letting them build their own people to populate all of their worlds.5) Lego Education Vehicles SetStart at the beginning with all the transportation vehicles your children can imagine in this 934-piece Lego Education Vehicles Set. At just over $100, the price tag seems hefty but you'll never have to buy a Lego City set again.6) Lego Friends Heartlake Shopping MallA complete experience for hours of building and pretend play, the Lego Friends Heartlake Shopping Mall is perfect for a kid who's into shopping.7) Lego City Camper VanImagination and adventure await with the Lego City Camper Van, which also comes with a canoe.8) Lego Magikus Board GameBuild and play the best Lego Magikus Board Game, which also happens to be magic-themed.9) Lego Superheroes Batman: Man-Bat AttackEvery Batman fan needs a Batcopter and Batman figure.
The Lego Superheroes Batman: Man-Bat Attack comes complete with villains and a crisis scenario.10) Lego Creator Treehouse 3-in-1Treehouse, lakeside hut, farmyard barn -- let the kids decide with the Lego Creator Treehouse 3-in-1.11) Lego Creator Power MechThe Lego Creator Power Mech features 3-in-1 transformation from a giant robot to a helicopter and a pickup truck.12) Lego Superheroes Knowhere Escape Building SetKids dig deep into "Guardians of the Galaxy" with the Lego Superheroes Knowhere Escape Building Set. It includes a trap door, catapult, poseable figures and lots of weaponry.13) Lego Star Wars AT-AT SetFans of Star Wars will love creating their own interactive armored snow vehicle, complete with weapons and snow troopers, in the Lego Star Wars AT-AT set.14) Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention SystemThe hefty cost prices this amazing programmable Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System kit off the mass market but it pops up in schools and organizations for an introduction to robotics.15) Lego Master Builder Academy