Lego raced into Formula 1 over the weekend, teaming up with McLaren Racing to build a life-size McLaren Formula 1 race car out of Lego Technic bricks.
Launched on October 18, the 1:1 scale model was unveiled at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas for the United States Grand Prix.
A feat of design and engineering, the model is made of 174,783 bricks, taking 2,000 hours to conceptualize and create.
Each major component of the real-world McLaren F1 car was painstakingly recreated in brick form, giving fans insights into how each part works.
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In a press release, Lego Group regional president Skip Kodak addressed the importance of people coming together to share their passions through play, no matter their age.
"The excitement of the sport is matched by the joy that comes when the final LEGO pieces of your car just click — that's that power of racing and the LEGO System of Play brings people together to champion that," he concluded.
Aside from a photo op with the model car, visitors also had access to play experiences within the activation, viewing the latest Lego McLaren models and building their own miniature Lego race cars to bring home.
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The event was the second of three activations taking place across major cities in North America during the 2024 F1 season, including Montreal, Austin, and Mexico City.
Hosting an event at a major racetrack helped make for an exciting day that engaged and immersed attendees.
By utilizing experiential marketing, brands can create memorable, unique experiences that stick with fans for years to come.
Building Up Hype
Lego advertised the pop-up event in a series of videos posted to the brand's Instagram account last week.
The first short follows a trend of internet videos that cleverly use an optical illusion to scare the audience.
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Lego also posted a video featuring McLaren pro driver Lando Norris.
The video itself hilariously does not feature any Norris promoting the brand or product. Instead, it was just a supercut of each time Lando clapped his hands during the filming.
This follows a social media trend of brands letting their "Gen Z intern" edit the video.
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The campaign is the latest instance of Lego ramping up its involvement with F1, following the announcement of the Danish toy giant's Formula 1 Collection to be launched in 2025.
Fans of both brands can expect even more tie-ups in the months to come, featuring different cars, teams, and drivers.
Lego has placed an increasingly significant focus on sets for adults over the last decade in an attempt to attract more mature audiences.
Back in June, the brand launched "The Crafting Table," its first Minecraft-themed set made for adult fans.
