Curious about the entrepreneurial adventure behind inspiring brands, Brand and Strategic Professional Martijn Arets decided to quit his job, hand in his lease car, ignore all uncertainties and follow his dream. For five months, he travelled more than 15,000 kilometres across Europe in a one-of-a-kind 1971 Volkswagen T2 camper van, meeting with the founders, CEOs and brand managers of 20 authentic European brands in what was to prove a unique trip: Brand Expedition. On popular demand, he has bundled the lessons and stories behind 20 appealing European brands such as Lego, Mini, Skype, The Body Shop and Adidas to create Brand Expedition, the book. More information? Check www.brand-expedition.com or send Martijn a Tweet: @martijnarets.

1. READ OUT LOUD
THE STORY BEHIND
- LEGO-
LEGO IS REALLY ENJOYING THE CRISIS

2. BEFORE YOU START….
please look into your camera and tell
us slowly your name, city and
country… Then you can start reading
this paragraph out loud… Have fun!

3. After the interview, Jan Christensen,
Communications Manager Corporate
Communications, takes me on a tour
of the company and the factory. The
culture of the company and the pride
of the people who work for it can be

4. felt everywhere. “The strength of the
Lego brand acts as a magnet on the
labor market, allowing us to hire top
talent. Our designers are from all
across the world. The selection
procedure is a two-week program

5. during which it becomes absolutely
clear which talent truly fits in with the
company. That is the advantage
of our strong corporate culture: it
operates as an indirect filter and only
those people who really fit in with us

6. remain.” The arrival of social media
has made it possible for Lego to
benefit not only from its own people,
but also from the knowledge and
experience of its fans. Though this did
take some getting used to in the
beginning.

7. - END OF RECORDING-