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Travis Nichols 206.802.8498

Life Size LEGO Figurines Descend on Rockefeller Plaza to Save the Arctic

Giant minifigs protest toy company’s branding partnership with Shell

NEW YORK, NY

Greenpeace activists dressed as life-size LEGO figurines descended upon the LEGO store in Rockefeller Plaza today asking LEGO to break its partnership with global oil giant Shell. The seven giant "minifigs" - including Emmett and WildStyle from the LEGO movie - carried signs generated from the online Protest-O-Matic asking the Danish toy company to end its co-branding partnership with Shell over the oil company's plans to drill in the Alaskan Arctic in 2015.

Greenpeace USA Arctic campaign specialist Tyler Sanville said:

"We love LEGO, but this partnership with Shell has to end. By putting Shell's name on its toys, LEGO is letting a cynical oil giant use the LEGO brand to get into millions of kids playrooms. It's time for LEGO to stand up for the Arctic, and for kids, by ditching Shell for good."

Greenpeace is calling for LEGO to stop making toys with oil giant Shell's branding because Shell is threatening the Arctic and the unique wildlife that depend on it. The global environmental group says Shell is using LEGO to neutralize controversy over its climate impacts and highly dangerous plans to drill for oil in the Arctic in 2015. Since 2012, Shell's Arctic program has faced fierce criticism from environmental NGOs and regulators. In that same period 16 million Shell-branded LEGO sets were sold or given away at gas stations in 26 countries, making Shell a major contributor to LEGO's global sales.

Shell's PR company valued the most recent two-year deal at $116 million, and reported that Shell achieved a 7.5% worldwide sales uplift during the promotion. LEGO has confirmed to Greenpeace that a further co-promotion between Shell and LEGO has been agreed to start this year.

This morning, the giant LEGO figures posed for photos with children, tourists, and New Yorkers office workers on coffee breaks at the iconic New York City store while Greenpeace activists delivered a letter inside to the store's manager asking for an end to the co-branding partnership. News of the protest spread quickly on social media with images and exclamations with the hashtag #BlockShell.

Greenpeace is a global, independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

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