Today’s toy advertising cements gender roles, limiting sales to either boys or girls. And above all – limiting the way children play. By leaving gender roles behind and showing a new kind of super hero, Leklust says it’s okay for children to play with whatever they like – rather than what grown-ups expect them to. The goal was to start a debate in Sweden. By the end of the campaign, the message had spread to over 30 countries, Leklust had a 100 percent increase in web traffic and received over 800 thank you e-mails. The competitors quickly followed Leklust’s example, changing the whole industry.

In Leklust’s product catalogue, we mixed gender roles – such as letting girls ride race cars and having Spider-Man push a pink stroller. The catalogue was sent to 616 000 homes in Sweden. The catalogue was also accessible via Leklust’s home page.

These catalogues are distributed eleven times a year to households in the vicinity of Leklust’s 18 stores in Sweden.

The campaign launched 16 March and ran until 22 April.

By the end of the campaign, the message had spread through social media, news reports and articles to at least 30 countries across the globe. Leklust’s website had a 100 percent increase in traffic and received over 800 thank you e-mails from Swedish parents. The competitors quickly followed Leklust’s example, changing the whole industry.

By letting the target group spread the message themselves, we achieved a higher degree of credibility. The power of the message itself had to do the job.