Why LEGO stopped advertising through The Daily Mail
LEGO announced on Saturday it will end its promotional programs with The Daily Mail after the British paper was criticized for engaging in discriminatory and hate-filled reporting.
The decision came days after Bob Jones, a LEGOs fan, expressing his dismay at the Danish toy company鈥檚 partnership with the Daily Mail. The post attracted support from hundreds of commenters along with advocacy group Stop Funding Hate, which itself over the summer encouraging UK retailers to also stop advertising through similar papers such as Daily Express and The Sun.
鈥淗eadlines that do nothing blame immigrants for everything, and as of yesterday are now having a go at top judges in the U.K. for being gay while making a legal judgment. Their stories have gone a little too far,鈥� Mr. Jones wrote. 鈥淚t genuinely bothers me, that a great progressive company like yours supports this "news" paper, helping increase its circulation.鈥�
This is not the first time LEGO has come under pressure over its working partnerships, and it may become more of a norm for other corporations as consumers increasingly expect retailers to champion social values. Choosing not to risk the ire of their customers, some corporations - particularly those targeting Millennials - have over the years responded accordingly, aligning themselves with causes whether through rebranding or ending business relationships.
鈥淭he days of standing completely on the sideline are disappearing,鈥� Farah Parker, a corporate consultant with FD Parker & Associates in Los Angeles, told 海角大神 in 2015. 鈥淏usinesses can no longer remain completely silent on social issues. As more corporations strive to create communities and not just consumers, the target audience now picks products based on quality and the company's cultural platforms.鈥�
Recently in the US, corporations have taken positions against legislation that activists say聽discriminates against LGBT individuals聽in places such as North Carolina and Georgia, withdrawing from scheduled conferences and pulling business from those states.聽Silicon Valley聽CEOs and companies are also noted for speaking out for political or social causes, particularly on LGBT rights and immigration issues.
In 2014 when LEGO was riding high from the success of 鈥淭he Lego Movie,鈥� it was attacked by a viral Greenpeace spoof video 鈥淓verything鈥檚 Not Awesome." The Greenpeace campaign brought to an end LEGO's marketing partnership with Royal-Dutch Shell as a means to criticize the fuel聽company's ongoing plans to聽drill for oil in the Arctic.
According to the BBC, LEGO鈥檚 Daily Mail promotions have been . Readers are offered coupons for free Lego toys at specific retailers.
But after the Brexit vote, the Daily Mail was accused of writing headlines that target opponents of the referendum. Most recently, it was criticized for calling the three UK judges, who ruled that the British prime minister requires parliamentary approval to trigger Brexit, 鈥渆nemies of the people.鈥� were submitted to the Independent Press Standards Organization, as reported by The Independent. The paper defended their decision by stating that .
At the height of the European refugee crisis, the Daily Mail, among other conservative-leaning newspapers, was criticized for reporting on refugees by endorsing a without including humanitarian themes, according to The Conversation. In October, the UK Green Party complained about the Daily Mail's publication of child refugees' pictures in an article questioning their ages. According to Guardian, the Party claims the publication against refugees.聽
鈥淒iscrimination isn't a political stance. It's not a matter of belief. It's just fundamentally wrong,鈥� Mr. Jones wrote about LEGO on Facebook. 鈥淭argeting set groups of people and casting them all in a negative light, doesn't reflect the standards your company projects. Discrimination breeds xenophobia, racism and distrust of people, undeserving of it.鈥�
In its response, LEGO did not specifically state why it ended the Daily Mail partnership, but emphasized its responsiveness to customers.
鈥淲e spend a lot of time have to say,鈥� a LEGO spokeswoman told The Guardian of the decision. 鈥淎nd when parents and grandparents take the time to let us know how they feel, we always listen just as carefully.鈥�
