Insight

The LEGO Technic brand statement, Build for Real can be found on our packaging, and in our advertising. But we haven’t really delivered on this promise. We must find a muscular, circuit-breaking idea that truly demonstrates the reality of the LEGO Technic building system.

Background

One of the biggest issues that LEGO faces as a brand is the drop-off of children around the age of 8-10, as they move onto typical teenage activities. The solution has long been considered LEGO Technic, serving as an extender of the LEGO system, and offering a more complex and technical building experience.

But the brand had fallen short of making LEGO Technic a compelling proposition, and leading into 2020, sales were down across the range. With an upcoming LEGO Technic set for the Bugatti Chiron about to be released, there was pressure from our partner, and from the LEGO family to do something big, outrageous and memorable.

As a creative and strategy team, we were given a licence to explore ideas out of the ordinary.

Strategy

The strategic approach began with identifying an insight that looked deep into our own product line. Amongst the creative team, this triggered an honest reflection that until now, Build for Real had not really lived up to its promise. Sure, we had built cars out of LEGO, but none of them actually could take to the highway. And what’s the point of having these giant builds in a museum, when a car, true to its purpose, belongs on the open road.

This insight prompted us to look internally, and to challenge the way we had brought our advertising to market. Early in the piece we decided that the solution was not a communication product, but rather, a broader marketing opportunity - let’s do something wild and outrageous with the product that shows we really can Build for Real. And we all agreed, there’s nothing more real than a car made out of LEGO Technic bricks that actually drives.

It was settled - we had an idea. Now, we just needed to find a way to make it happen.

Execution