Back in 1981, the maker of everyone's favourite interlocking plastic bricks was responsible for one of the most iconic ads of all time. Now, 40 years later, Lego is bringing the campaign back for International Women's Day – and your children can be part of it.
One of the best print ads ever, the original 'What it is is beautiful' poster (below) featured a young girl holding a Lego creation, alongside some inspirational copy about the pride children take in their masterpieces. For International Women's Day 2021, Lego is calling on families to celebrate the skills and creativity of the "next generation of female leaders" by recreating the ad.
On Lego's Future Builders page (opens in new tab), users can submit a photo and complete a quiz to generate a headline that celebrates their child’s "own creative style". Children will need to strike a similar pose to the original ad, and must be holding some sort of Lego creation ("We can't show any other toys" – surprise, surprise).
"At the Lego Group, we believe children are our role models," the company's global chief product and marketing officer Julia Goldin, said in a press release. "We look to them for inspiration every day and want to help them break down gender stereotypes and create opportunities for everyone."
And there are already some delightful examples live on Lego's website, featuring young girls holding their creations right here in 2021, along with slightly tweaked headlines such as 'What it is is original' and 'What it is is pioneering'. "Fast forward a few years," each ad's identical copy reads, "and they'll be running the world."
Indeed, the new ads are just as fun and inspiring as the 1981 ad – and certainly one of the more authentic marketing efforts we've seen for International Women's Day (it helps, of course, that Lego had a great starting point in the form of the original poster). Check out these 5 women hitting new creative heights in 2021 if you're looking for more inspiration.
If Lego's new ads have encouraged your little ones to get building, take a look at today's best Lego deals below. And if they've inspired you to get building (Lego isn't just for kids, you know), the best Lego sets for adults are bound to keep you busy.
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