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. This is a brand that almost everyone
has grown up with. With sales in more
than 130 countries and a target group
that ranges from age 2 to age 99, it
produces toys that 400 million people
per year play with, during a

4. total of 5 billion hours. Surprisingly, it
also produces 381 million tires a year
- making it the largest tire producer in
the world: Lego.

5. In Billund, a rather non-descript little
town in Denmark, life revolves
around one thing; Lego. In the
reception hall of the Lego Group,
while waiting for my meeting, I
become acquainted with the magic

6. of the Lego brick. After all, what else
does one do in a waiting room,
accompanied by boxes full of Lego
bricks? That is the power of Lego.
After a tour of the (closed to the
public) Lego museum in the original

7. Lego workplace, located in the center
of Billund, I meet Per Hjuler. Per is
Senior Vice President of the Lego
Group, and is responsible for the
brand, as well as for communications
and concept development.

8. - END OF RECORDING-