On 27 September 2016, AIM will hold its 3rd Brand Lecture on Brands, Innovation and Trust. Through his lecture, Per Hjuler, Senior Vice President, Innovation and Consumer Marketing at LEGO, will unfold how the LEGO Group has managed to build an innovative and sustainable brand position. It will tell the story of how to stay relevant and appealing to consumers and shoppers. The lecture will be introduced by high level speakers providing different perspectives on the relationships between brands, trust and innovation: Poul Weihrauch, Global President Mars PetCare and President of AIM, MEP Vicky Ford, Chair of the IMCO committee and Richard Holland, Director Market Transformation initiative at WWF. The LEGO brand was coined in 1934 by the founder Ole Kirk Christiansen from the Danish phrase “Leg Godt” meaning “Play Well”. The unique idea of bringing system-in-play was nurtured and explored during many subsequent decades by adding wheels, roof tiles, windows, gearboxes and mini-figures to the LEGO building system.
Every new innovation was appreciated by consumers who found LEGO play to foster creativity, imagination and problem solving skills. Through its lecture, Per Hjuler will unfold how the LEGO Group has managed to build an innovative and sustainable brand position. It will tell the story of how to stay relevant and appealing to the target audiences - consumers and shoppers. Biography of teh guest speaker: Per Hjuler joined the LEGO Group in 1999 as Brand Director. During the intervening years, he has worked in a variety of roles within product, marketing and brand management and development. Since 2012 Per has been a member of the LEGO Group Corporate Management as Senior Vice President for Innovation and Consumer Marketing. This role comprises a wide range of responsibility areas: Prior to joining the LEGO Group, Per worked in a number of Danish and international FMCG companies. He holds a MSc degree in Economics and Business Administration. The AIM Brand Lecture series provides a new forum for the sharing of the latest insights from the world of brands and from thought-leaders who interact with it.
Brand manufacturers share EU policy makers’ ambition to create sustainable and inclusive growth. The Brand Lectures hope to enrich the debate on Europe’s future and how different actors in society can shape it together. Link Programme policy roundtable on brand innovation (cancelled)Lego Batman Finds the Funny In Existential AngstThe first 20 minutes of The Lego Batman Movie, in which a character made of small plastic snap-together pieces captures delicate gradations of hubris and loneliness, are genius. The opening blast of action uses every color in the jawbreaker palette: Lego Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) saves Lego Gotham from a cadre of villains led by Lego Joker (Zach Galifianakis), with his acid-green molded pompadour and equally acidic ingratiating smile. There's never any doubt who'll win. Lego Batman makes a point of showing off his "nine-pack" (he's so awesome, he has an extra ab). But after the rumble is over, he retreats to cavernous Lego Wayne Manor, shifting straight into moody Christian Bale mode.
He pops dinner into the microwave--it hums morosely, its light bathing his forlorn, masked face in a one-is-the-loneliest-number glow. The seconds tick by. Lego Batman's existential suffering gets funnier with each one.And then the whole thing falls apart. The film, directed by Chris McKay, is a spin-off of 2014 hit The Lego Movie, an unapologetic product unapologetically selling a product. Sometimes brash, sometimes wearying, that movie at least felt like it was made by the brightest kid in the class. Not so for Lego Batman. After that kick-ass opening, the picture devolves into an action-action-plot-action-plot-action monotone. Where have all the gags gone? By the end Lego Batman has learned a valuable lesson: family is important! (A lesson, by the way, that's almost always designed to please adults more than children, who mostly long for chaos and freedom.) Lego Batman, with his comically blank eyes and observant pointed ears, deserves better. No other character with nine abs has ever made misery funnier.
Mariah Carey Joins 'The Lego Batman Movie' Mariah Carey is heading to Gotham. Making a return to movies, even if its just via voice, after a multiyear absence, the songstress will voice the mayor of the crime riddled city in The Lego Batman Movie, Warner Bros.' spinoff of The Lego Movie, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. Carey will not be voicing the character Commissioner Gordon, despite reports stating otherwise. The movie already has its Alfred (Ralph Fiennes), Batgirl (Rosario Dawson), Robin (Michael Cera) and Joker (Zach Galifianakis). Will Arnett, who voiced the Dark Knight in 2014's The Lego Movie, will return to voice Batman. Chris McKay, the animation supervisor on Lego Movie, is directing the project, which has a script written by author-screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith. Dan Lin and Roy Lee are producing, along with Lego Movie director-screenwriters Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The last time Carey has graced the big screen was in Lee Daniels The Butler, in 2013.
Prior to this she worked with Daniels' when she acted in his film Precious as the social worker Ms. Weiss. 'Logan': What the Critics Are Saying 'Batman' Negotiations Break Down With Director Matt Reeves (Exclusive) 'Joker vs. Joker' Is the Fan Film That'll Put a Smile on That FaceWATCH: The heartbreaking Lego Movie parody they tried to ban GREENPEACE's short film, designed to highlight the toy-maker's relationship with Shell, which was removed from YouTube has now reappeared on the movie sharing site An environmental charity's controversial film depicting characters from the hit Lego Movie being consumed by oil is back on YouTube.The film, which first appeared on YouTube last week, was taken down amid complaints about its copyright.But the video is now available to view again.With the title Everything is NOT awesome, the two-minute clip uses a re-recored song and stars from the animated adventure.Greenpeace made the short film to highlight Lego’s relationship with the oil company Shell.The deal is thought to be worth around £68million and involves Lego making Shell-branded toys to be sold in petrol stations across the world.
Greenpeace video show Lego Movie characters consumed with oil[ YOUTUBE]But Greenpeace say that a family orientated company such as Lego, should cut its ties with the oil company. The environment charity alleges that Shell wants to drill in the Arctic and could damage vital eco systems there.The Greenpeace website says: “Shell wants to take advantage of the melting ice to drill for more of the fuels that caused the melting in the first place. We firmly believe this matter must be handled between Shell and Greenpeace. “But scientists say an oil spill there would be impossible to clean up, devastating the Arctic’s unique wildlife. It’s faced fierce criticism for its plans from environmental NGOs and regulators, and reputation-wrecking media coverage.”Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, President and Chief Executive Officer of the LEGO Group, has responded by saying: “The Lego Group operates in a responsible manner and continually strives to live up to the motto of the company since 1932: 'Only the best is good enough.'“