How The Lego Group pivoted from toy bricks to become a lifestyle label for all ages

SINGAPORE – Choices for home decor abound, from photo collages to colourful cushions.

These days, consumers can add Lego to the list. Not just in the form of a childhood set, but also as specially designed products such as Lego roses or a Van Gogh painting in Lego form.

This reporter knows a home owner whose living room wall features a three-dimensional art piece in the form of the Danish brick brand’s The Milky Way Galaxy set ($299). The 65cm by 40cm black-framed set uses more than 3,000 Lego elements to depict the cosmos through a clever interplay of colours, textures and brick layers.

How about a bouquet made of Lego flowers? In May, when Lego Singapore organised a giveaway of Lego rose stalks, more than 100 people showed up early at its Suntec City Mother’s Day pop-up to collect the freebie.

Both the Lego flower line and the Milky Way Galaxy set, which is part of its Art line, were introduced to consumers in the last five years.

They are part of a strategic shift away from the perception of Lego as a childhood toy. The brand prefers to be seen as lifestyle product for all ages, genders and interests. 

Ms Julia Goldin, The Lego Group’s chief product & marketing officer, tells The Straits Times during an interview at the Lego Singapore office at South Beach Tower in late September: “We’ve always had a dedicated fan base of adult fans – who call themselves Adult Fans of Lego – who have been passionate about our big builds, such as the Star Wars Millennium Falcon set.

“But we were also interested in exploring ways to bring in more casual fans, even adults who have never tried Lego before or haven’t touched a set since childhood.”

In 2020, some existing sets were reintroduced with black packaging and an 18+ age recommendation, such as the Old Trafford – Manchester United stadium.

At the same time, new sets such as Star Wars helmets (from $109.90) launched with an adult-targeted livery. These sets were accompanied by a marketing campaign that declared: “Adults welcome.”

“We plan our line-ups some two years ahead of time. We had absolutely no idea 2020 would turn out the way it did, with the Covid-19 pandemic keeping people at home,” says Russia-born Ms Goldin, 57, who moved to the United States as a teen. She is married with two adult children.

The campaign proved successful, “but we did wonder if it was just a one-off situation due to the pandemic”, she says. After all, many people craved distractions and activities during home quarantine, and online retail overall saw a tremendous boom across multiple sectors.

In 2021, the brand launched its Botanical Collection (from $21.90) with a bonsai tree and flower bouquet. Both products have since proven to be evergreen smash hits.

“The original bonsai tree was one of our top five best-selling kits last year. And the flower bouquets continue to sell well,” says Ms Goldin.

From flowers to F1

The brand is seeing strong growth among the teenage demographic and the 18+ population.

Women are the fastest-growing segment, and their interests are diverse and extend far beyond the Botanical Collection.

“It’s true that they love building flowers. But we have found they also love art and decor, entertainment and Formula One,” says Ms Goldin. 

In 2025, The Lego Group teamed up with F1 to launch a global partnership that has included collaborations beyond F1 Lego sets.

In May, during the Miami Grand Prix, all 20 drivers on the grid participated in a unique event: a Lego F1 car parade, taking place on the track itself, during which they sat in life-size, two-seater cars made of Lego bricks and actual Pirelli tyres. Each car carried its respective team’s full liveries and sponsor logos. 

And in July, podium finishers at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, Northamptonshire, received trophies made entirely of Lego elements. 

One of the F1 Lego cars, made for the Williams Racing team, was brought to Singapore in late September as part of a Lego Experience The Thrill pop-up at Ion Orchard.

Built with over 400,000 Lego bricks, and measuring 5.5m long and 2.1m wide, it was available for visitors to gawk at until mid-October, in conjunction with the Singapore Grand Prix from Oct 3 to 5.

Interestingly, F1’s journey parallels Lego’s in terms of its appeal in popular culture. 

Ms Goldin says: “They started from a core of young males, while we started the Lego Experience the Thrill from a core of very young boys.

“Since then, both brands have expanded so much. Lego is for everybody: boys, girls, men, women, teenagers. Likewise, F1 experienced a surge in popularity thanks to the Formula 1: Drive To Survive documentary series on Netflix.”

Flowers and F1 may seem diametrically opposed. But together, these realms show the vast range of interests that are available for The Lego Group to tap into, when considering its adult segment. 

When anything can be turned into a compelling Lego set, the brand’s crowdsourcing platform, Lego Ideas, has proven valuable in discovering what Lego lovers want.

“That’s where our BTS Dynamite set originated from,” says Ms Goldin. “Someone pitched the idea, and then 10,000 people voted in support of it, showing that there was momentum and interest beyond the original proposer.”

The resulting 749-piece set, which features backdrops from the K-pop boy band’s music video for their 2020 song Dynamite, along with mini-figures of all seven members, was released in early 2023.

Tactile and affordable luxury

Other popular adult-focused, intellectual property-based sets emerging from the Lego Ideas platform include the limited-edition Central Perk set, inspired by the coffee shop setting of the popular television sitcom Friends (1994 to 2004). 

“Sets based on IP do well, but they are ultimately contingent on approvals and permissions from the respective IP owners,” notes Ms Goldin.

As such, The Lego Group is focusing on developing its in-house lines, such as the Botanical and Art collections. This is especially relevant, as the wider trends drawing adults to these products continue to stay strong.

“The whole idea of being a ‘creator’ has really taken off in the last decade or so – particularly with social media platforms, which provide a way for people to display their creations and passions, and to use these as a way to connect with other people,” she adds.

People have also increasingly turned to novel ways to increase mindfulness and well-being, Ms Goldin points out.

“There is a lot more awareness and interest in carving time out for oneself. Building a Lego set requires you to take a moment for yourself, away from whatever the world might have in store for you.”

But it is not just about marketing children’s toys to adults, she emphasises. “A lot of work has gone into making these into products that aren’t just cool to look at, but also fun to build.

“We want them to be an affordable luxury. Something that you can interact with in a tactile way, and then display in your home or office, as an expression of your interests and personality.”