Walk into a Lego store these days, and you will be greeted by not just the Lego logo, but also a plethora of products based on other brands. – Photos: Lego
Walk into a Lego store these days, and you will be greeted by not just the Lego logo, but also a plethora of products from other brands.
In one display box, you might find an impressive 1:8 scale Lego model of the Ferrari Daytona SP3 sports car. In another, a Lego version of Optimus Prime from the Transformers franchise stares out at you stoically, the Matrix of Leadership in his hand.
And that’s not even counting popular sets from the likes of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Disney, Super Mario, Minecraft, Marvel, DC Comics and so on.
Lego turns 90 years old this year, and those of us who grew up with these famous interlocking brick toys will remember building their iconic castles, cities, and even space sets. These days, however, the company also produces sets based on products from other brands, with whom they form what the Danish toy manufacturer calls ‘product partnerships’.
The Lego Technic Ferrari Daytona SP3. Ferrari is one of Lego's longest running partners.
During the recent 90 Years Of Play media showcase at the Lego Campus in Billund, Denmark, we spoke to Emily Jacobs, head of product partnerships for Lego, about what goes into building these relationships with other brands.
“We've been working with partners since we first launched Lego Star Wars in 1999. After that, next longest running ones have been with Harry Potter and Ferrari,” she said, adding that newer partnerships like the Super Mario one have also been greatly successful.
“We've got these long running partnerships that were gradually built over time. For instance, we've been working with the likes of Ferrari for many, many years, and we've got a kind of heritage with them,” she said.
“What's lovely about working with them is that we really get to know each other over time, and we have a very trusted relationship.”
With newer partners, however, one of the most important aspects Lego looks at is whether that potential partner is going in the same direction as they are.
“When it comes to new partners, the overarching thing is always that there's a value match, that the partners care about exactly the same things that we care about – sustainability, a better world for children in the future, building skills.
“Fundamentally, these are the kind of the things which must underpin any partnership we do. And that's super, super important to us.”
Jacobs also said that partnerships that push the creative boundaries are also what they look out for.
“Is it an innovative brand? Is it a creative brand? Can we work together? Can we create something that's super unique and detailed, surprising, and delight our fans? There's so much potential in drawing something out that's beyond the obvious,” she explained, adding that they don’t want to do anything that just involves slapping a brand on it.
“We always want to do something that's super special that will inspire our builders. Everyone's got different passions, different interests, and affinities to different brands, so we're super conscious of making sure that there's a choice and there's something for everyone within the portfolio they will love.”
The impressively size model of Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader from Transformers, but also transforms on his own into his truck mode.
In more recent years, she said, the portfolio for adult fans of Lego (AFOL for short) has really gained momentum as well, and they have been building on that by going into more pop culture, music and sports partnerships.
“We're always looking for things that we can reinterpret through a Lego lens that will really inspire and delight our fans and it's something that they want to use to extend their fandom of that brand.” Jacobs said.
One such example is the recently launched Optimus Prime, which is not only an impressively size model of the Autobot leader from Transformers, but also transforms on his own into his truck mode.
This particular partnership begs the question though – isn’t Hasbro, which owns the Transformers brand, a competitor in the toy industry?
“Hasbro are just as much an entertainment company as they are a toy company. So we're working with them because of Transformers, which is a much-loved brand with movies and other entertainment content. And that's what we're tapping into,” she said.
The Starry Night set is one of the latest sets to come out of the Lego Ideas program.
Another great source of potential partnerships is the Lego Ideas program, which is the company’s fan source platform where Lego fans from all over the world can submit their own designs on anything to be voted on by other fans, and if it gets 10,000 votes, Lego will consider making it an official set.
Among the sets that have come through Lego Ideas include the Friends Central Perk set, the Voltron set, and the newly launched Starry Night set, which is a 3D Lego model of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night painting, which now hangs in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
“Lego Ideas is a great way for us to hear what our fans want, and where their inspirations are coming from. It's a wonderful way for us to have a two way conversation with them,” Jacobs said. “Minecraft started life on Lego Ideas and now it's in our main portfolio.
“What I love about Lego Ideas is it brings such a diversity of ideas and brands that helps us think outside the box. They've got to have 10,000 votes before they're considered for our portfolio, so we know they're popular beforehand. So it's a wonderful way of us taking inspiration from our fans and delivering something that we know they want.”
As part of the Lego Group’s 90th anniversary celebrations, Lego has set up a physical installation at the ground floor of Centre Court, Mid Valley Megamall with various play-centric stations and activities for the public to engage with. The event is happening from now until June 12.
