Lego has ended its relationship with the Daily Mail following a campaign to stop brands from buying ad space in tabloid newspapers.
Stop Funding Hate, which was launched in August, has been encouraging Lego to stop buying advertising space from the publisher.
It also wants other major brands to stop advertising in the publication, along with The Sun and the Express, and has received a flood of support in the wake of tabloid media coverage of the Calais child refugee story and the High Court Brexit decision.
Last week Stop Funding Hate shared a “heartfelt” message from Bob Jones pleading with Lego to stop advertising in the Daily Mail and on Saturday Lego tweeted a reply.
The news has been warmly received on social media where Lego has been applauded for doing the “right thing”.
Gary Lineker, who recently suggested Walkers Crisps should end its relationship with The Sun following its coverage of the Calais child refugee story, was among those to welcome Lego’s decision. Lily Allen added that the news was “amazing”.
Lineker, who has been Walkers’ figurehead for 21 years, has shared his support for the Stop Funding Hate campaign which has also set up a petition asking Virgin Media to stop advertising in the The Sun.
The Co-Op Group has said it is “reviewing” its advertising in response to the campaign but other companies have, until now, refused to withdraw their adverts from the publications being campaigned against.
John Lewis has said: “We fully appreciate the strength of feeling on this issue but we never make an editorial judgement on a particular newspaper.”
The Lego decision comes after Alaistair Campbell last week backed a petition calling on British Airways to stop handing out copies of the Daily Mail.
A Lego spokesperson told the Huffington Post said it was “humbled and honored to see how much consumers all over the world express their care for our company and our brand” and that when parents and grandparents “take the time to let us know how they feel, we always listen”.
The spokesperson said Lego strives to “do our very best to live up to the trust and faith that people around the world show us every day” and had no plans to run any promotional activity with the Daily Mail “in the foreseeable future”.
A spokesperson for the Daily Mail said: “Our agreement with Lego has finished and we have no plans around any promotional activity with Lego in the foreseeable future.”
Bob Jones letter to Lego:
Dear Lego.
I love Lego. My 6 year old son loves Lego. He inherited all of mine three years ago and his collection has multiplied many times since. We spend time going to Brickies, our local Lego club. All he wants for Christmas is Lego, and we’re even taking him to Windsor for a stay in the Lego hotel at Christmas.
It seems you can do no wrong.
But I’m concerned. For a few years now you have done free giveaways in the Daily Mail newspaper. And while holding back that wretching feeling, I’ve paid for a copy to get the free Lego pack. (And then promptly binned the paper) The poly bag packs usually end up as part of my sons advent calendar. Which he loves. But I’m afraid to say I can no longer do it.
While I disagree with their political stand I can accept their right to have it.
But lately their headlines have gone beyond offering a right wing opinion. Headlines that do nothing but create distrust of foreigners, 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. (A lot too far)
It genuinely bothers me, that a great progressive company like yours supports this “news” paper, helping increase its circulation.
Lego, to me has always been an inclusive product. Breaking barriers between gender, building children’s imagination and confidence to do their own thing. Something adults and children can and do, bond over.
Your links to the Daily Mail are wrong. And a company like yours shouldn’t be supporting them. And as crap as I feel telling my son he can’t have the free Lego kit that he sees on the front of the paper in the store, I have explained to him that the paper it is attached to is the sort of paper that tells lies about people, like some of his friends from school. Even my six year old understands that what they print is wrong.
I’m sure I’m not the only person with this opinion. And I’m sure many people would like to know if you intend to keep supporting this publication in the future.
#stopfundinghate #nolego
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