Lego chases “lifestyle” status through movie

Lego will use the planned movie based on the popular toy to build a “lifestyle brand” that it claims kids will demand in all aspects of their lives.

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The movie is currently being developed by the toy maker and Warner Bros with the part animated film scheduled for a 2014 release.

David Buxbaum, marketing director at Lego, says that the movie is not about selling more Lego sets but about “deepening engagement” through branded extensions such as t-shirts and video games because “kids like having it [the Lego brand] as part of their everyday life”.

He adds: “We [have] become more of a lifestyle brand and I think that’s why the movie will be such a success, because kids just want more ways to engage with us and I think if we get the story right this will be fantastic for us.”

Lego has seen sales soar in recent years following a string of brand extensions and licensing deals with movie studios. Sales rose 25% in the six months to 30 June as new sets based on Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean drove take-up.

Look out for a Q&A with David Buxbaum in the 8 December issue of Marketing Week.

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