Droga5 Dublin, part of Accenture Song, and Our LEGO Agency (OLA) have collaborated to launch a major global campaign for The LEGO Group that champions the important role that play has in the day-to-day lives of children.
Called “Play is Your Superpower” the campaign features LEGO’s first ever fully playable film which “celebrates the heroes that can emerge in a world that has forgotten how to play.” The campaign has been created to encourage adults to prioritise play for the children in their lives and it will run for four months with three key moments: the Autumn launch, World Play Day on October 12 and during the brand’s peak Christmas holiday season.
The campaign also draws its insights from a recent global study finding that, on average, children are spending just 2% of their week (equivalent to 7 hours) playing, with one in three (32%) spending less than three hours each week enjoying play. By comparison, the study found that the average adult spends 26 hours a week scrolling on their smartphone, an average of more than 3.5 hours per day. This current “play deficit” is a cause for concern for experts given the crucial role of play in shaping a child’s cognitive abilities, overall wellbeing and most importantly, in them having fun.
“Our creative team were on a mission to develop a campaign idea that was big enough to flex across the three key moments from fall, right through to the holidays; and Play is Your Superpower is exactly that,” says Jen Speirs, chief creative officer, Droga5 Dublin. “Of course, the only way to launch an idea like this was with a brand film that mimics a true superhero epic and opens people’s eyes to the wonders of play, which has actual ways to play hidden inside. We’re proud to have created a piece that features a line-up of diverse young talent that will empower both kids and adults to approach life in a more playful way and are excited to watch it unfold,” she says.
“We knew we wanted to make a big statement around the power of play this year, so we designed a campaign that celebrates just this. The film showcases the endless possibilities for play that children see, in even the dullest of situations, and shows the difference play can make to the world as the children rebuild it for the better. Jane Lynch and Sun Li add to the playfulness of the film by revealing themselves as forward-thinkers who want to overthrow the norm and inject more play into their workplace,” adds Nic Taylor, SVP and head of Our LEGO Agency, the in-house agency for The LEGO Group.
Julia Goldin, chief product and marketing officer, at the LEGO Group adds: “For over 90 years, we have been a champion of children and their right to play. We believe play helps children develop skills like creativity, confidence and communication that helps them learn and thrive today and in the future. Our Rebuild the World platform has helped us celebrate the power of play since 2019 and we’re excited by the next iteration of the campaign to inspire people of all ages to reprioritise play in their lives.”
The film stars Hollywood actor Jane Lynch as a work-obsessed CEO who becomes enlightened to the merits of play by seeing its impact through the eyes of six adventurous children. Each child brings a different passion and skill to a mission to spread play in a monotonous, structured workplace. Superstar actress Sun Li takes on the role of the CEO in an adaption for the Chinese market. It was directed by cinematographer, screenwriter and producer Ellen Kuras, best known for her work on Academy Award winning “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”
The fully integrated global campaign will run across a variety of channels including TV, digital, out of home, cinema, PR, influencer, and e-commerce. The film will also come to life in LEGO stores globally with playable experiences that tie into the character’s mission from the hero film.
Credits:
Agency: Our LEGO Agency
SVP and Head of Agency: Nicole Taylor
Global Creative Leads: Hazel Tracey & Guy Bingham
Global Brand Communication Lead: Dan Worrell
Sr. Global Communication Partners: Simran Khaira and Lino Fortes
Global Brand Strategist: Rebecca Price
Global Communication Strategist: Richard Yardley
Sr. Social Strategist: Natalie Williams
Sr. Global Project Manager: Kenneth Sanchez
Head of Production: Uffe Bryld
Sr. Lead Producer: Elaine Lee
Brand Global Marketing Development Team: Alero Akuya, Lisa Nash, Kristofer Crockett, Jasmin Brennan, Rebecca Dover.
External Agency Partner: Droga5 Dublin, part of Accenture Song
Managing Director: Jimi McGrath
Chief Creative Officer: Jen Speirs
Chief Creative Officer: Jen Speirs
Chief Strategy Officer: Emma Sharkey
Head of Production: Jessica Bermingham
Creative Directors: Stephen Rogers & Edward Redgrave
Senior Art Director: Lucas Oliviera
Senior Copywriter: Anthony Ortuso
Copywriters: Emmet Heneghan & Ruby Norman-Curran
Senior Strategist: Lorna Tutty
Group Account Director: Sam MacDonnell
Client Operations Lead: Caitriona Coakley
Account Director: Luiza Boerescu
Senior Account Managers: Lisa Haran & Rian McCarthy
Account Manager: Catherine Coffey
Senior Project Manager: Simon Ball
Executive Producer: David Lynch
Senior Producers: Karina Cotter & Aisling O’Dwyer
Producer: Siobhan Coakley
Creative Build: Evan Greally & TJ Ryan
Business Affairs Director: Christina McGuckian
Production Company: The Corner Shop
Director: Ellen Kuras
Founder/ Executive Producer: Anna Hashmi
Executive Producer/Producer: Tess Mitchell
DoP: Rachel Morrison
Production Manager: Sima Kutsenko
Production Designer: David Lee
1st AD: Shakir Hafoudh
Service Production Company: Unit & Sofa
Executive Producer: Fady Salame, Martin Sobotka & Veronika Hajkova
Line Producer: Jan Hlvasa
Production Manager: Robert Zapletal & Klara Botlikova
Casting UK: Kharmel Cochrane Casting
Casting Canada: Ground Class Casting & Mann Casting
Editorial Company: Union Editorial
Editor: Marco Perez
Assistant Editor: Joshua Sampson
Post Production: Gabha Studios
VFX Supervisor & Creative Director: Daniel Morris
On set VFX Supervisors: Daniel Morris & Jan Huebel
Executive Producer: Dafydd Upsdell
Colourist: Andy Francis
CG: GABHA & Rohtau
Rohtau Executive Creative Director: Jordi Bares
Rohtau Creative Director: Dragos Stefan
Rohtau Executive Producer: Josh King
Rohtau Senior Producer: Julie Nixon
Audio Post Production: String and Tins
Music and Composition Arrangement: Joseph Alexander
Additional Music Composition and Production: Jim Stewart
Sound Designers: Will Cohen, Jim Stewart
Foley: Earthsound
