If you were asked to name a brand of toy that you played with for hours as a child what would come to mind first?
On Tuesday 17th September 2019, one of the most iconic brands of children’s toys, the LEGO Group, launched “Rebuild The World”, its first global brand campaign in thirty years (what a testimony to the strength of the LEGO brand). It features a short animation which will run on broadcast and in cinemas as well as on social media.
“Rebuild The World” is about the power of creativity and how it can change the world. It shows how playing with LEGO cultivates children’s creativity and allows them to build and rebuild infinitely, imagining creative solutions, wild stories and new worlds.
“Rebuild The World” is a bit of a masterpiece in that it manages to encapsulate LEGO’s unique selling point as well as being funny and eminently watchable. Even retired, former LEGO players will want to watch it more than once. It is chock full of references to favourite LEGO products and details that LEGO fans will spot.
So what brand lessons can be learnt from LEGO?
1. It has a great name which reflects the mission, vision and values of the company itself.
LEGO comes from “LEG GODT” meaning to “play well” in Danish. LEGO’s mission is to help children worldwide to play well and create the world that they want. It has always tried to promote a peaceful world view. Even collaborations with Star Wars and Ninjago encourage more of a hero fighting evil approach than encouraging children to engage in war games with their toys.
2. It is instantly recognisable.
Although LEGO has had to adapt to a changing market and push the possibilities of the simple LEGO brick, the LEGO “system” of play remains. The pieces in a LEGO set purchased today will fit together nicely with bricks from a set from sixty years ago. Genius. You can just keep adding to it, so it’s a perfect solution at Christmas or birthdays.
3. It puts the user (the customer) first.
LEGO customers are children. Children have a strong urge to create and a vivid imagination. LEGO allows for infinite creativity and gives children the ability to build their vision and everything in it just the way they want it. The product is also easy to use and appeals to a wide age range. LEGO encountered problems when they did not take the creativity of an intelligent audience into account when Technics were first released (have a look at the “Toys that Made Us”, Netflix series). Peace was restored when they changed tack and worked with their audience.
4. It has kept abreast of changing technology.
LEGO’s Mindstorms are conferences which bring together children from all over the world to push the boundaries of their creativity and ability to programme. The Mindstorms showcase how LEGO has introduced different technological aspects to its toys whilst retaining the unique LEGO identity.
5. LEGO has not been afraid to expand into different sectors of the market
LEGO was at one time seen as more of a “boys” toy, probably due to its affiliation with Star Wars. Then LEGO spent years developing a girl friendly product and released the “Friends” range which was a resounding success. Other products developed by LEGO over the years have not proved quite so successful, to the point where the company was at one point facing real difficulties. When LEGO brought in key management staff and returned to their original mandate they saw sales rise again.
Building a brand as strong as LEGO’s takes an investment of time and careful consideration. If you need a brand marketing agency to help you to create the brand you envision we would love to help you.