Lego's mission leads to the best brand story

Why is a story from one brand sometimes so much more attractive than another? Blogger Omar Katan has an appealing explanation, with a convincing example. It's about your mission statement. 'Your brand story is only as good as your mission statement', he claims. And to proove it, he puts two toymakers to the stand: US-based Mattel, known from the skinny Barbie dolls, and Danish Lego.

Mattels statement: "Entertain girls, to place them in a world full of happiness and fantasies." Compare that to Lego's mission: "“Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow”.

What strikes immediately is Mattels outdated viewpoint, because stereotyped on girls and females. There's not much room for bright new views, suprising opportunities and new horizons. While Lego is opening its promise to every child, boy or girl, and extending it to ambition and the future. Sticking to one's mission statement will determine the outcome of any brand story that is going to be told. And how the brand develops. Is it a suprise that Lego is making more money than Mattel and the other big US toymaker Hasbro combined?

How this is affecting Mattels story one can imagine. Watch these videos and see for yourself. While Barbie’s story fluctuated with time and bent to the will and mood of the time, Lego’s has withstood the test of time and still remains as valid and relevant today as it did so many years ago.

Update 11/3:

To be honest: Mattel just recently unveiled an interesting change-of-strategy regarding Barbie, making her a bit more role-model for those ambitious young girls we know these days...