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By John Glenday, Reporter

July 8, 2014 | 2 min read

Greenpeace has published a hard-hitting video criticising Lego’s partnership with the oil giant Shell by creating a Lego recreation of the Arctic imperiled by the activities of the oil major.

Shell currently harbours plans to drill for oil in the pristine environment of the Arctic, work which the charity believes could threaten the environment, wildlife and way of life of those who live there.

Shot by BAFTA –winning creative Don’t Panic the short clip depicts what could go wrong should drilling take place under the strapline, Everything is NOT Awesome, a play on the recently released Lego Movie: Everything is Awesome.

Mel Evans, Arctic campaigner at Greenpeace, said: “Every company has a responsibility to choose its partners and suppliers ethically. Lego says it wants to leave a better world for children, yet it’s partnered with Shell, one of the biggest climate polluters on the planet, now threatening the pristine Arctic. That’s a terrible decision and its bad news for kids. We’re calling on Lego to stand up for the Arctic, and for children, by ditching Shell for good.”

Don't Panic's creative director, Richard Beer, said: "We love Lego. Most of us spent hours as children letting our imaginations run wild with just a few bricks and a couple of odd-shaped things that looked like spaceship engines. That’s why it's so sad to see Lego being used by Shell to advertise to children like this. We hope our video strikes a chord. We hope it captures the sadness we all feel that one of our fondest childhood icons is now being used to pollute children's imaginations."

The campaign has generated 240,000 petition signatures urging Lego to scrap its controversial partnership.

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