LEGO Brand Group

Guided by the LEGO® brand strategy and vision, the LEGO Brand Group protects, develops and leverages the full potential of the LEGO brand

LEGO Brand Group is a strategically important part of KIRKBI with a dual purpose: To protect, develop and leverage the full potential of the LEGO brand across the LEGO branded entities, and to enable the active and engaged family ownership of the LEGO brand through generations.

The work of LEGO Brand Group is guided by the 2032 LEGO brand strategy and vision – to become a global force for Learning-through-Play through initiatives such as:

• Explore and build digital business activities within Digital Play and Digital Learning

• Sustainability commitment to social and environmental goals

• Strengthen the LEGO brand experience e.g. in the LEGOLAND parks and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres

Bringing Learning-through-Play to all children

The LEGO® brand vision to become a global force for Learning-through-Play is anchored in

90 years of Learning-through-Play

In 2022, the LEGO Group and the LEGO® brand could celebrate nine decades of helping children reach their full potential through play. Events and campaigns throughout the year marked the event. Among others the first ever World Play Day – a full day of play-packed global events and partnerships dedicated to helping families and communities play more.

90 years after Ole Kirk Kristiansen began crafting wooden toys in Billund, play continues to help children grow and thrive in a rapidly changing world. In the 2022 LEGO Play Well Study conducted among +55,000 parents and children in more than 30 countries, almost all children say that playing as a family makes them happy (97 %), helps them relax, takes their minds off school (95 %), and is their favorite way to learn.

the LEGO Idea and fundamental belief that playful activities help children of all ages learn and develop essential skills such as creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking. It is expressed in the name, ‘LEg GOdt’, meaning ‘play well’ in Danish, thought of by the founder of the LEGO Group, Ole Kirk Kristiansen – and closely connected to the LEGO System in play, which gives children the possibility to build whatever they can imagine – and while they play, they learn. A timeless idea, which remains universally relevant – also in the year 2022, which marked the 90 years anniversary of the LEGO brand.

Strategic investments in Digital Play and Digital Learning

While the physical play experience offered by the LEGO bricks is unique, it is not accessible for all children across the world. Development in digital capabilities such as cloud, platforms, and user-generated content unleashed a myriad of ways to evolve the LEGO® brand and shape the future of learning and play. Children are shifting towards spending more time on digital platforms with play and learning converging. Expanding beyond physical play by building footholds within Digital Play and Digital Learning is therefore an essential element in the 2032 LEGO Brand Strategy.

In 2022, two milestone investments were carried out within these two areas as part of delivering on the long-term brand vision of bringing Learningthrough-Play to even more children.

The investment in Epic Games and acquisition of BrainPOP reflect a strategic intent to invest in high-growth companies within Digital Play and Digital Learning that complements the existing LEGO branded entities as part of bringing Learning-through-Play to as many children as possible.

Investing in Epic Games

In April 2022, KIRKBI invested USD 1 billion in Epic Games, a leading interactive entertainment company that builds, distributes, and operates world-leading games and content. The investment reflects a strategic intent to accelerate the engagement in Digital Play and invest in trends which impact the future world.

The investment followed the announcement of a long-term strategic partnership between Epic Games and the LEGO Group to shape the future of the metaverse and build a safe, creative, and engaging digital experience for children of all ages.

Acquisition of BrainPOP

In October 2022, the first 100 % acquisition in Digital Learning was completed with the USD 875 million strategic acquisition of BrainPOP, a leading educational technology platform with a presence in over two thirds of U.S. school districts reaching an estimated 25 million students annually.

BrainPOP is a trusted digital education brand grounded in research with values closely aligned with the LEGO® Idea. With a digital-first learning approach in a growing edtech market, BrainPOP complements the existing LEGO branded entities.