About the Author

When he was a kid growing up in Denmark, Martin Lindstrom had but one thought in his life: Lego. He was, to put it simply, obsessed with Lego. He hand-built and slept on a Lego bed. He dressed in Lego's colors. He even turned the family garden into his very own Legoland creation, a miniature village complete with bonsai trees, scooped out canals, and dozens of houses and ships constructed entirely out of LEGO. Then one bright summer's day in 1982, ambitious 11-year-old Martin Lindstrom opened Legoland's doors, optimistically anticipating hoards of visitors from near and far. Not a single person showed up. Aware that something more than mere brilliant design was needed to attract visitors, young Martin suddenly had a flash of inspiration: he would advertise! He promptly persuaded the local newspaper to run an ad, and sure enough, the following week 131 people streamed through the garden gate. Including two lawyers from LEGO, who very politely informed Martin that if he persisted in using the name 'LEGOLAND' he would be guilty of trademark infringement. That's when he first realized the seductive power of marketing and advertising. So Martin decided to open his own advertising agency, which he succeeded in doing a couple of months later, at the ripe age of 12. And thus, a lifelong relationship with marketing and brands was born. After selling his agency in 1988, Lindstrom attended the Academy of Advertising before joining international giant, BBDO. In 1994 he went on to form the groups first interactive agency; BBDO Interactive, and three years later he founded BBDO Interactive Asia Pacific, both agencies growing to become the largest Internet solution companies in their respective regions. By the age of 30, Lindstrom had become one of the most respected names in the industry. He has since spent 300 days on the road annually sharing his brand of wisdom and pioneering methodologies through speaking engagements and his role as trusted advisor to countless high profile companies, celebrities and royal families. In 2009, amidst the rubble of the economic meltdown, Lindstrom opened a new chapter. Disheartened by much that he had seen on the front lines of the branding wars for the last two decades, he decided to turn the spotlight inward, and reveal all he'd learned along his journey from 11-year old Lego enthusiast to one of the globe's foremost marketing experts. His goal? By exposing the best kept tricks and secrets of the marketing world, and opening our eyes to all the ways in which we, as consumers, are being manipulated and deceived, he would help each one learn to resist the siren song of advertising and make smarter, more informed decisions about how we spend our money. The goal is to prepare brands for a more transperent and honest appraoch where secrets no longer will be possible and thus transperancy is needed. Brandwashed is the culmination of this ambitious undertaking. Lindstrom has been featured and

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