Renowned toy company LEGO Group has recently undergone a significant rebranding initiative in partnership with global brand consultancy firm Interbrand.
This new design identity aims to revitalize the brand's image in a way that resonates with its core values, which have been integral since its establishment in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen.
The new LEGO logo, featuring bubble writing, serves as a visual representation of ownership and quality.
Although not drastically different from the previous LEGO logo design we wrote about, it still offers a refreshing look while maintaining easy recognizability and affinity for the brand centered on its play advocacy.
Beyond refreshing its logo, Interbrand worked together with Our LEGO Agency (OLA), the LEGO Group's in-house creative agency, for the past two years to come up with the most fitting design ecosystem for the global toy brand.
“The LEGO Group has been the master of constant reinvention for 90 years,” OLA Global Head of Design Thomas Holst Sørensen said in a press release.
“LEGO play offers the chance for discovery and invention, where you can always create something new from something familiar,” he added.
Crafting Innovative Design Elements
Through a meticulous evaluation of 23 guidelines and more than 110 separate principles, the rebranding team distilled these insights into five key design principles:
- Design for your audience
- Build from its System-in-Play
- Tell stories
- Be playful and optimistic
- Keep it simple
Drawing inspiration from the rich heritage of the LEGO Group, the rebranding process unearthed a wealth of elements that were instrumental in shaping the new brand identity.
These elements, reminiscent of storytelling pieces, were carefully curated to create a cohesive and timeless representation of the LEGO brand.
“The LEGO Group's archives were a treasure trove of elements that contributed to crafting the final solution — a mix of storytelling pieces that we used to build out a full LEGO set just as iconic and timeless as the brick itself,” Oliver Maltby, executive creative director and a portfolio lead at Interbrand, revealed.
“The playfulness of the new identity reinforces the vision of the LEGO brand as a global force for learning through play,” he added.
The visual language of comic books served as a creative muse, leading to the incorporation of recognizable cells, speech bubbles and iconic LEGO minifigures in the brand's visual storytelling.
This is because central to the rebranding effort is LEGO’s enduring commitment to fostering learning through play, particularly for the young audience that forms a significant part of its customer base.
The new brand identity is also tailored to resonate with children still developing their reading skills.
“Our new brand DNA reflects what is important for the LEGO brand. It is a beautiful, simple, and well-constructed system that both unifies and breaks free the creative and playful expression of our brand and product experiences,” Sørensen shared.
The new design elements will be seamlessly integrated across all touchpoints, from products to digital platforms, reinforcing LEGO's commitment to delivering exceptional experiences and reaffirming its position as a frontrunner in the toy industry.
