How Lego’s obsession with detail has kept fans hooked for 92 years

In 2024, few companies will be able to replicate the success of Lego. Its toys span generations, from adult fans reconnecting with their favorite toys to the next generation.

Since its humble beginnings in 1932 as a carpenter’s project, Lego toys have become an indispensable part of childhood. Just name the theme and you’re likely to find a set that fits it, whether it’s architecture, cartoons, racing or jazz.

Over the past decades, Lego could have been replaced by more addictive and engaging electronic gadgets. But that didn’t happen – on the contrary, things couldn’t have been better for the family-owned Danish company. It outperformed the toy market with record sales in 2023, with revenues growing by 2% to DKK 66 billion ($9.7 billion) versus a 7% decline in the wider industry.

So what is the secret sauce that Lego uses to keep kids (and, more recently, adults) addicted to its colorful bricks?

luck Get an exclusive look behind the scenes of LEGO product development and the secrets behind keeping the iconic brand relevant.

One theme that LEGO has always used—space—illustrates what makes its approach unique and helps it stand the test of time. Space has been one of the company’s three official categories in which it has developed toys (the other two being “Castle” and “City”) since the 1970s. Space was meant to represent the mysteries of the future, just as castles had done in the past. Space’s popularity with children has continued over the years, capturing the interest of children all over the world. Children’s imaginations As a world of endless opportunities.

“Building with LEGO is a passion in itself,” said Julia Goldin, LEGO’s product and marketing manager. luck In an interview.

Listening to children for children

Lego realized early on that there was no substitute for understanding what kids wanted without listening to them directly. The company made that deliberate decision about 10 years ago, Goldin said, and it has helped the company change the way it goes about making toys.

“What makes the LEGO Group unique is, first and foremost, really understanding the audience,” Goldin said. “Not just understanding what might interest them, but also what the right dynamics are for the experience.”

Another factor that sets Lego bricks apart is the quality, as sets can be passed down from generation to generation, according to Frederique Taut, global toy industry consultant at market research firm Circana. Unlike toys that don’t require thinking, parents believe their children can benefit from Lego toys, whether it’s engineering skills or using their creativity.

“When parents buy Lego for their kids, they think it will help them build their brains,” Tut said. luck“They (Lego) are trying to develop products for everyone.”

Turning an idea into reality

As a longtime toymaker, Lego has developed a well-oiled machine to help it constantly generate new ideas. The company holds a “Boost Week” once a year — think of it as a quick brainstorming session typically associated with startups that stimulate new concepts. Designers come up with new ideas or work on existing ones, giving them creative freedom outside of their daily schedules. There’s no checklist for what to achieve, though the goal is to see what could be turned into a potential Lego set, said Daniel Meehan, one of the brick company’s creative leaders.

The next step is to see how you can “code” the models, including finding items that tell stories and make them easier to play with, like Lego astronauts or purple collecting crystals.

In addition to leveraging ideas from the company’s own game developers, the company also listens directly to its audience.

“We are also testing things with children on a large scale,” Meehan said.

The company brings together kids from all over the world, from Germany to China, to find out what they want more of. That process has led to one of the big elements we see in today’s space-themed Lego sets, says Meehan, who is leading the company’s latest space campaign.

During one DIY space test, a kid was flying around in a wheeled vehicle, collecting aliens along the way — both of which were not part of the initial set design.

“We’re very practical, we’re adults… but in the eyes of the kids, this was the perfect spaceship. But there was one complaint: (The kid) said we needed more aliens. And we actually put more aliens in the box because of that kid,” Meehan said.

Adding aliens to LEGO sets, as in lego space stationIt adds more layers to what might otherwise be a straightforward set, and it also forms a common thread that ties sets from other categories together. For example, Lego aliens can also be found in the Space Science Laboratory and Rover sets. The little green creatures were intentionally designed to look similar as a nod to Lego builders, Meehan says. luck.

The quality and complexity of Lego can make their products expensive– Sometimes their prices are higher than the latest iPhone releases. This is especially true for products that are withdrawn from the market, making them rare. The novelty of their products has made them a dream for collectors and even a target for acquisition. $100K worth of thefts In the US, the company says it offers kits across different price points so no one feels overwhelmed. Its most basic products can Single digit dollar costjust like with 7500 pieces. Millennium Falcon The set may cost around $960.

For the love of detail

Lego’s attention to quality and detail is certainly not a new phenomenon. The company’s founder, Ole Kirk Christiansen, has taken this phenomenon to heart. To his sonwho once tried to use two coats of paint instead of three to speed up the application and was reprimanded.

The company’s penchant for detail doesn’t just apply to its space innovations or game development process, it applies to its business as well. For example, Goldin leads meetings that look at the company’s current performance while also discussing the pipeline for the next few years.

Much of the Danish company’s legacy as a toy manufacturer has to do with how it makes play accessible to all ages, interests and experience levels. Meehan explains that the space theme can target three types of audience: storytellers, who are often children fascinated by the subject; enthusiasts, who are interested in learning about the field; and others, who are generally drawn to all things space, including its artistic side.

“Another strength they have is that they appeal to young children as well as teens or adults with their intricate pieces. So, they grow with you,” Tutt said.

The detailed approach also applies to how Lego prices products and designs, and markets sets to its adult fan base, ensuring there’s a game for everyone. But one thing’s for sure: Regardless of the motivations, the company tries not to skimp on detail because that’s what gives Lego games their character.

Lego fans “really notice” the added little elements, Goldin says, because “they bring a lot of excitement.”

“It’s more than just a game because it’s a very immersive experience,” she said.