Shell Gas and Legos: A Good Marketing Strategy OR Brainwash the Kids
Shell Gasoline’s marketing department made a brilliant move when they struck a deal with Lego to put their brand on Lego toys. For some time Shell reigned as the dominant gas brand in Lego sets. Though not all Lego gas stations had the Shell name, a significant proportion did.
I, at least, associate gasoline in the Lego world with Shell. I also suspect that there are millions of other people who, as kids, took their Shell sponsored Lego race cars to Shell Lego gas stations where they were serviced by Shell Lego gas attendants. The Shell brand was iconic in the Lego world. I think that at one point I didn’t even realize there was a real Shell gas company.
Now that I know there is real Shell gas, I retain an irrational affinity for the company. There’s no reason I should prefer them over any other brand. Yet if I see a Shell station across from another station (assuming they’re the same price), I’m inclined to go to the Shell station because of my “familiarity” with the brand. In effect, I’ve been conditioned to go to Shell by playing with Legos. How many other people like me are out there?
I’d be interested to know what the exact terms of the agreement were. Presumably Shell paid a large sum of money for the advertising opportunity. It’s my guess that the investment was well made. I think somebody should do a study on the success of Shell’s advertising through Legos.
Indeed–perhaps you should be the one. ;-)
I shared James’s viewpoint… mostly because I owned some of the LEGOs he is referring to.
I as well did not know there was an actual Shell brand until I was in my teens; I always thought it was just the made-up LEGO brand.
I too am interested in this relationship. I’m in my 40′s and still occasionally play with my old LEGO(R) sets which have the Shell brand incorporated into them. Newer sets do not feature ‘Shell’, but now have the ‘Octan’ brand. I have just today written to LEGO to ask them the history and background of the original relationship, and why the reasons for the changes! I’ll post again if and when I get a reply.
I am familiar with the Shell fuel brand (and I pass two of their outlets on my drive to work), and I guess there is a degree of ‘brainwashing’ from my childhood, but in my case it didn’t pay off! Shell had a major disaster in the mid 80′s when they added a new detergent to their fuels sold in the UK…the idea being to make engines run cleaner and more efficient. Unfortunately, the fuel actually did a lot of damage to engines after prolonged use and I remember them for that fact rather than the LEGO branding influence! I don’t use Shell fuels for that reason, but would rather have Shell branding in a LEGO set than any other…it’s traditional, isn’t it?!!!
Please do let me know if LEGO replies. I would be fascinated to hear their answer.
Pure marketing genius – it is insighst like these Lego sorely needs to take it’s place back in the market.