Lego is one of the most recognised and loved toys of our times. Though it was launched in the 1950s it did not become popular until the 1970s. It won the Toy Retailers Association's Toy of the Year in Britain three times that decade, in 1974, 1975 and 1979.

It is based on an already popular toy, the building brick, which has been a well established type of toy since the eighteenth century. It was modernised by its use of material and its interlocking system. This meant that you could now build more complicated structures without the fear of it all toppling over before you finished. They were not the only company to have come up with this idea. Several others were also using a similar system. One such was the Kiddicraft self-locking brick which was released in the Britain in 1947.

Lego has kept its popularity as it has not really dated and old versions can be used with new ones as it has stayed a standardised size and scale. At the same time many different versions have been produced, including a space range, pirates, urban settings, as well as ones related to films like Star Wars, Batman and Harry Potter.

Over the years Lego has diversified into other areas such as the video game Bionicles, but their true strength lies in the basic product. The brand name Lego is now easily recognised by several generation and the toy was voted Toy of the Century in 2000.