Tag Archives: seventies

Steamin’ through the Seventies with Samsonite.

January 29, 2018 Matthew Hocker Leave a comment

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. LEGO, always a new toy.” OK, I don’t speak French, but that is a rough translation of the major parts of this 1975 French Canadian advertisement.

This advertisement is unique in that it was done by Samsonite. In 1972, Samsonite lost the license to produce and distribute LEGO products in the U.S. Meanwhile in Canada, Samsonite was still responsible for marketing LEGO products through 1986. They also received royalties up till 1989.

This particular advertisement features set # 182, train set with signal. It is also unique in that it shows both boys and girls enjoying LEGO trains. The little girl has her eyes fixed on her older brother’s train set, and it looks like she built a Duplo water tower to go along with it.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of the partnership between LEGO and Samsonite, LEGO fan-site BrickFetish has an excellent write-up. Click here to read it.

History

25 Days of Holiday “Trainvertising” #23: A Greeting Card within an Ad

December 23, 2017 Matthew Hocker Leave a comment

Here’s a unique piece of advertising from 1979. This Christmas card appeared in a 5 page LEGO advertistment, printed in the November 1979 issue of the UK magazine, Radio Times. I would have shown the ad in its entirety, but my scanner can’t accommodate it. It features LEGO Christmas cards sitting on a brick-built mantle. This card features 4.5V set 182, which was originally released in 1975. Look at all the cypress trees!

Here is a larger part of the page the image comes from, just for frame of reference.

History

From Rails to Rocket Fuel (1971)

September 7, 2017 Matthew Hocker 2 Comments

This week’s piece of LEGO train advertising history was published in France in 1971. This is probably my favorite example of LEGO train advertising. The stylized drawings and explosion of color make this a feast for the eyes.

There is also some creative storytelling going on here. If you look closely, you will notice a Darwinian depiction of trains. The 4.5V train moves into the world of 12V, is transformed into a monorail, a boat and a supersonic jetliner. All of these illustrations lead your eyes to the final focal point, which is a space-bound rocket. From trains to spaceships, “LEGO is a new toy every day.”

P.S.: Be sure to take a second look at that monorail. You might find that it bears greater resemblance to more recent fan designs than LEGO’s official monorail system of the 1980s & 1990s.