LEGO: More Than a Child’s Game

The LEGO brand has made a comeback in recent years. With cars like the Porches, Bugattis, James Bond’s Aston Martin, or Star Wars’ Imperial Star Destroyer, LEGO seems to be targeting a male audience with its adult collection. I spoke with Raquel Faria, Marketing Director for LEGO Canada, to find out more.

The comeback

We have noticed in recent years that LEGO has increased its presence in the adult market. What is the reason for this offensive?

We had a strong adult fan base who were passionate about building and creating with out bricks. Furthermore, in recent years there has been a strong trend towards creative play for adults. This provided the impetus for our teams to drive innovation within this space.

Is the adult market forcing LEGO to think differently? To invent new sets?

We continually look to be innovative in developing all of our products, whether for kids or adults. With the adult portfolio, we start with key commonalities in passion points and use these interests as inspiration for the creation of new game experiences for the adult fans of the brand.

Is it the nostalgic side that leads adults to get LEGOs, for example, with the Star Wars series, or are they rather new hobbies with the TECHNIC series of cars or the Architecture series?

Definitely, nostalgia plays a part in why they have returned to building with LEGO bricks for some adults. For others, it is because the sets are aligned to their passions, whether that is Star Wars, cars, or even TV shows. By providing a breadth of options across many interests, we hope that our adult fans and those new to building with our bricks find an outlet for their creativity.

Are men more consumers of your products? Furthermore, which models are the most popular for this target?

We see a great deal of interest in our products from everyone around the world. In the first half of the year globally, our best-performing themes have been LEGO Technic, LEGO Speed Champions, LEGO Classic, LEGO Star Wars for our entire fan base.

An array of Prestige partners

Several partnerships have recently appeared (McLaren, James Bond, Ferrari). In what way these limited collections bring new customers?

These partnerships are key to sparking interest with our current adult fans and attracting new adult LEGO builders. Bringing to life someone’s favourite car, sports stadiums, architecture, or even TV show provides the opportunity for them to experience a new creative outlet.

LEGO Art: The newest collection

The LEGO Art series is more than a game; it is also a piece of art. What is the inspiration behind it?

LEGO Art is a new and different way to build through mosaic tiling. It is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in a passion for creativity while building a unique piece of art. To aid in the immersion, each set comes with a downloadable podcast that you can listen to while building, offering a perfect way to relax and destress. When complete, you can showcase your artwork, with pride, using the wall mount materials included.

What can we expect in the years to come? Car models as big as the Imperial Star Destroyer? New cities in the Architecture collection?

Our goal is to innovate constantly and create new play experiences while staying true to the essence of a hands-on play. We have many new and exciting things planned for our adult fans in 2021 and beyond, so stay tuned.

Discover the new collections