Brand Profile - Lego

Lego launches new homegrown IP, Lego Dreamzzz

Lego Dreamzzz, the Lego Group’s latest IP based on the way kids dream, was launched last month, and Toy World was given a sneak peek of both the new content series and the accompanying Lego sets. Marianna Casal reports.

Based on “the limitless creativity of children’s dreams”, the 10-episode Lego Dreamzzz series follows the adventures of school friends, Mateo, Izzie, Cooper, Logan and Zoey, as they join a secret agency and learn to use the power of imagination to journey into the Dream World and defeat the tyrannical Nightmare King. The TV series launched on May 15th and further episodes will be available in August.

The show will be available on a dizzying array of channels, including Amazon Prime and Netflix globally, as well as ITVX and Sky Kids in the UK and Lego’s own YouTube channel. Additional content related to the show –such as drawing tutorials – will drop on Lego’s channels to increase engagement with its target audience of boys and girls aged 6-10. The show has been three years in the making, and it shows – the animation is high quality, while the storytelling, dialogue and characterisation are rich and detailed.

On many levels, Dreamzzz is unlike anything Lego has done before, but it is rooted in Lego’s brand values of creativity, imagination and fun. And according to Lego head of marketing Isobel Graham, it’s very much a long -term project for the company: “We really believe in this concept, and we are in it for the long haul.”

The content series will be followed in August by a brandnew product range featuring items seen in the show, including Izzie and Bunchu the Bunny, Mrs. Castillo’s Turtle Van and the Nightmare Shark Ship. The products are unlike anything the Lego Group has launched before – 80% of a Lego Dreamzzz build follows instructions, but for the final 20%, the choice of what to make is left up to the builder, meaning they can create their own adventure.

“Lego Dreamzzz is our very first concept that celebrates the wondrous world of dreaming and explores what happens when dreams become real, ordinary kids become extraordinary and creativity is a superpower,” explained Cerim Manovi, creative director for the IP. “We want children to feel empowered to bring their wildest dreams to life and revel in the true force of their creative imaginations while dreaming – and this is just the beginning.”

Lego Dreamzzz is Lego’s biggest ever homegrown IP, in terms of the size of its distribution launch, which is why a YouTube viewing party was organised for the series premiere, inviting high-profile kid influencers to encourage children around the world to get excited about the all-new Lego theme. To add to the celebrations, Lego launched a world-first opportunity for children to become Chief Dream Creators. Children aged between six and 12 years old are being encouraged to submit their own dream creation – either a simple drawing or picture of a Lego build they’ve made themselves – showing a creature or vehicle they have dreamt up. Entries close on 20th June. The dreams the kids share will help to inspire the future of Lego Dreamzzz, and the chosen participants will be flown to Denmark, home of the Lego Group, to join a series of Lego Dreamzzz workshops.

Tommy Andreasen, the concept developer, said: “No matter how old you are or who you are, dreaming is something we all have in common. Dreamzzz is an interesting and realistic space about real kids in the real world with abilities in the dream world. It was an attempt to find something as broad as possible, but also recognisable and relatable. Dreams can be very abstract, creative, wild, wonderful, scary. It’s the perfect canvas for imagination.”

About 30,000 kids from around the world were involved in the creation process of the new theme, and Tommy added: “We never do anything without asking kids. They couldn’t shut up about Dreamzzz, they were full of ideas. This topic inspires creativity.”

In the series, most people aren’t aware that the dream world is real, but brother and sister Mateo and Izzie discover that it is real after sharing the same dream. They realise they need to help someone stuck in the dream world and their imagination allows them to create what they need to help out, which is a special power. Soon, they become part of a team of Dream Chasers. Tommy explained that Dreamzzz can help kids to explore themselves through the characters, as each one’s strengths, weaknesses and personalities help the group in different ways.

Isabel Graham, head of marketing, commented that Dreamzzz can spark conversations between parents and their children when watching as a family, and can also help kids to tackle nightmares by seeing how the characters deal with bad dreams in creative and brave ways. She added that having extrovert girl heroines who are crucial to the story means the Lego Group will be able to recruit more girls to the brand.

As the topic of Lego Dreamzzz is so broad, the creators are confident for the future of both the series and product range, as it is a concept with vast potential that can go anywhere. “The kids will tell us what realms to dabble in,” concluded Isabel.