The bear-faced cheek of it: Lego protest hits Ani-Com
Exhibitors from toy company Lego found themselves on thin ice yesterday when a polar bear visited their booth at the Ani-Com and Games Hong Kong in protest at the toymaker's "hypocritical" attitude to conservation.
Exhibitors from toy company Lego found themselves on thin ice yesterday when a polar bear visited their booth at the Ani-Com and Games Hong Kong in protest at the toymaker's "hypocritical" attitude to conservation.
At first glance, Pauline the polar bear may look frighteningly real but inside the 20kg costume are two human volunteers. Pauline has made previous appearances at protests against Arctic drilling in London, New Zealand and Washington.
Her arrival at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai put the spotlight on the Danish toymaker's cross-promotion partnership with global oil giant Shell and its controversial Arctic oil-drilling programme.
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Lego toys featuring Shell logos, including a line of Lego Formula One cars given away at filling stations, were promoting brand awareness for the oil company among children, Greenpeace warned. "Lego should cut ties with Shell, which is gambling on the lives of Arctic animals," said campaigner Ada Kong.