Lego debuts in-house kids creative studio as sales soar

Young minds are often the most creative minds, and Lego is planning to tap into that resource by launching an in-house kids creative studio. The toymaker, which has seen sales skyrocket this year as families seek out innovative home projects to occupy their children, is debuting the Kids Creative Studio, an internal department comprised of nine young influencers and an as-yet-to-be discovered kid creative director. “We’ve seen the ways kids are re-imagining play and the innovative ways they interact with their peers,” said Amanda Madore, senior brand relations manager at Lego Systems, in a statement. “We believe now is the perfect time to celebrate this creativity by turning over the creative reins to them, recognizing and rewarding kids for being the true creative superstars they are.” Lego is looking for a creative director between the ages of 7 and 17 to join the group, which is expected to create a commercial airing later this summer. Kids are encouraged to submit video applications illustrating their creative skills through April 19. A Lego spokeswoman says the intent is for the studio to be part of multiple projects moving forward, following the commercial’s debut. The creative director will receive $10,000 in value. Already included in the group are teen influencers such as Brock and Boston and Mexican singer Hey Bala!, as well as dancer Nicole Laeno. Of course, Lego is not the first to use its own small customers as marketers. Five years ago, Target made headlines for having children create a back-to-school campaign. Experts have said that young influencers, part of the new Generation Alpha, can help make or break a product for brands in this digitally focused age. Well-known children, such as Ryan of Ryan’s World, have created multimillion-dollar empires by teaming up with brands on new products and campaigns. Lego recently reported full-year results showing the role the brand has played for customers during global lockdowns. Revenue in 2020 grew 13% to 43.7 billion Danish krone, or roughly $7 billion, compared with 2019, and consumer sales rose 21% for the year. The new kids’ studio will include Lego executives acting as mentors, as well as mentors from Universal Music Group. Universal Music recently worked with Lego on Vidiyo, a new music video maker. Learn more about retail trends by attending Ad Age Next: Retail, a digital conference on April 20. Register here.

Lego debuts in-house kids creative studio as sales soar

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