If you’ve been around advertising long enough, you’ve heard of the AKQA Lego Brief. It’s an exercise that they’ve been doing for years as part of the hiring process with Job applicants of a certain seniority. Recently I was considering moving to London to take a position as a Program Director on their Rolls Royce account and my time finally came to participate in this prestigious tradition. I was offered the job but declined it as the salary wasn’t going to work for me and I had some other opportunities that seemed like a better option.
Anyway, here’s the brief:
Building Beyond Bricks: A Bold Brief for LEGO’s Future
And below is a description of my idea. Of course, me being me, I have to start with a bit of a preamble. The deck I used in the presentation is linked at the bottom of the page.
The Challenge: Becoming a Creativity Brand Again
LEGO is more than a toy, it’s a cultural touchstone. As digital realities reshape how kids play, connect, and grow, LEGO is at a crossroads: remain a nostalgic icon or evolve into a platform of limitless creative expression.
This brand has always been about creativity, but today’s generation is increasingly drawn to platforms like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite—where the act of building extends into digital, social, and cultural spaces.
The mission: help LEGO reassert its relevance with kids aged 7–11 by evolving the brand into a digital-first, creativity-led ecosystem that speaks their language.
The Insight: Today’s Kids Are Digital Creators
The kids we’re targeting aren’t just playing—they’re designing skins, editing videos, and modding games. They want freedom. They want tools. They want to co-create.
To reach them, LEGO should show up where creativity is already happening: online where it’s collaborative, and personal.
The Strategy: Shift from Product to Platform
We proposed a bold repositioning, moving LEGO from a physical product brand to a creative platform where kids can build, share, and flex their imaginations across physical and digital realms.
This means:
- Unlocking new digital tools for creation
- Showcasing kid-led creativity across all touchpoints
- Redesigning the experience to feel fluid, expressive, and socially powered
The Big Idea: LEGO FLEX
“LEGO FLEX” is the creative north star—an attitude, a movement, and a design system. It’s about giving kids the tools to flex their imagination, their style, and their voice.
Visually, it’s expressive and behaviorally, it’s empowering. It lets kids remix LEGO to suit who they are and what they love, building confidence through creation.
How It Comes to Life:
- In Content: A series of creator-led stories where kids show off what they made and how they made it—building the story from scratch.
- In Product: Customization becomes key. Kids can personalize characters, sets, and packaging.
- In Experience: A seamless blend of physical and digital build IRL, extend in the app and share.
- In the Brand Voice: Bold, playful, empowering. Think: “You made that? Flex.”
The Outcome: A LEGO Universe Built by Kids, Not for Them
By shifting LEGO from a prescriptive toy to a generative platform, we give kids a voice. We unlock a future where LEGO isn’t something you play with, it’s something with which you create.
This isn’t about abandoning the brick. It’s about what happens after the build—when kids put their own twist on it, remix it, and share it with the world.
HERE is the link to a condensed version of the deck that brings the idea to life.
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