Not Just a Legend Anymore

“Technology has re-shaped the PR landscape and changed the way we communicate”: It sounds excellent and looks great on paper (or the computer screen), but without a practical application and real world example, the phenomenon is as obscure as the Loch Ness monster. And since I wouldn’t lead my readers to believe in mythical beasts, I won’t force them to believe my faith in technology without substantial proof, either.

LEGO, the toy company known for its colorful building bricks, has always been associated with creativity and imagination. Boys and girls have played with them for decades and developed important skills in the process. However, by 2004, the company was losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year to the high-paced excitement of computers and video games. But after hiring a new CEO and reorganizing the company, the people behind LEGO decided they would need more than just a company clean-up to get back in the game.

LEGO hired 360PR, a firm specializing in the use of online tools, to create a platform that would bring back the thrill of Lego toys amidst the constantly evolving world of iPods and game consoles. Together they came up with the “LEGO Builders of Tomorrow” campaign targeted at parents of the hi-tech robo-tots; it was used to remind parents that successful adults were cultivated with the help of creativity, and not the kind that gets your kid to the next level of Halo the fastest. After conducting the research, it became obvious that kids were not the only techno-savvy generation out there: parents were using the Internet for everything from diagnosing a runny nose to purchasing a playground set. So the best outlet to reach the web-surfing parents? Online technology, of course.

With that in mind, 360PR designed three devices to establish discourse with parents about the importance of imaginative play: a website used to deliver tips and stories from real parents, a LEGO Playtime Podcast and a blog. The site came complete with stories about “Builders of Tomorrow,” or the high profile fans of LEGO, ways for kids to become a “Builder of Tomorrow,” a scholarship contest, play tips for parents and links to the podcast and blog. Through this campaign, LEGO was not only able to boost its sales, but also spread a positive message to young kids and their parents everywhere.

But how can I prove the importance of technology without results? The campaign has been featured in dozens of media outlets, online outlets and audio releases, the site attracts 5,000 unique monthly visitors, the blog has been featured in a story called “Dawn of the Dad” in the Washington Post and the podcast has been picked up by directories including iTunes. As for the picture at the top of the post – it is the outdoor advertisement that won a Gold Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival in 2007 .

So now that everyone’s convinced that emerging technology is not just some phantom of the communication world, I’ll leave you with this: the word Lego (leg godt) means “play well” in Danish, so I guess the campaign comes pre-packaged right in the toy.

And just for fun - while keeping with the theme - here is a video of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” made entirely of Lego’s.