For the launch of LEGO® DREAMZzz™, our new IP and content series, we wanted to break out of the toy box and launch like an entertainment brand: high impact OOH being key. Only, we wanted to take it further. We made it more accessible to kids everywhere by reframing the media as magical portals, releasing wondrous dream creatures into the world across three iconic locations. We made it feel so real, even asking kids to go hunt down the escaped dream creatures on LEGO.com. Our media became a portal to our fantasy world.

In 2023, The LEGO Group set out to establish an all-new fantasy theme that brings the wild creativity of children’s dreams to life, and explores what happens when they become real.

Not only is LEGO® DREAMZzz™ an exciting story for kids, it’s a culturally meaningful one. In today’s world, increasing pressures and expectations confine kid’s imaginations. This IP universe was developed to free them. Two-thirds of the kids we spoke to described dreams as being an important way for them to unlock their creativity. As dreaming is universally relevant across demographics and geography, it was important our launch had global footprint.

For the first time in LEGO history, the TV show launched without having any playsets on shelves (these came later). So, The launch was inspired by the world of film and entertainment rather than that of toys.

We created 3 anamorphic billboards in 3 key markets to showcase the portals during the summer holiday. More than media, it was important to reframe the story and make it feel as real as possible for kids. Each placement – or portal – featured a different Dream Creature breaking out into the real world.

An equally important part of the OOH was the film capture off the back of it: we caught the escapes on camera and created an exciting breaking news film to expand the reach and make it truly international and even more relevant and accessible for kids. We called on kids everywhere to go find the creatures on LEGO.com...

We needed to capture the attention of the most distracted audience – kids. Amidst a sea of fantasy options, we sought to stand out and introduce kids to the wild possibilities of LEGO® DREAMZzz™.

Objectives:

• Make the dream world REAL for kids

• Get kids 6-12 to discover the world of LEGO® DREAMZzz and watch the content

• Create hype amongst fans for the arrival of the series

• Deliver an international launch that excites kids worldwide

• Drive positive perceptions of the brand

Brief:

Bridging fantasy and reality, the IP presents dreams as a real place. With this launch we wanted to bring the world of kids’ dreams to life.

Idea:

DREAMZzz just got REAL. We unleashed creatures from our series into iconic locations using innovative 3D anamorphic technology. We captured the events in a breaking news style film, and called on kids to hunt for the creatures.

Not only did our creatures break out of the billboards, they broke records. Our launch results exceeded our wildest dreams in the first year.

• Our 3D billboards and fantastical creatures reached over 14 million people across the globe.

• Reached 17% content awareness amongst kids, exceeding our objectives

• LEGO® DREAMZzz™ content has been viewed more than 100m+ times across platforms.

• The overall launch of LEGO® DREAMZzz™ drove 68% positive sentiment, 30% higher than average positive campaign sentiment (and just 2% negative).

• LEGO® DREAMZzz™ content drove kids’ perceptions of the brand, with 43% of them liking the brand more after watching the show.

• As a bonus, we were awarded extra media time for free at Piccadilly Circus as there was so much positive sentiment around the creative work.

We used the anamorphic 3D effect to make the creatures feel as real as possible. This has been done to great effect before, but our unique innovation was two-fold. Firstly we created one global moment: three uniquely designed creatures emerged at three different locations at the same time, all amplified by local social and LEGO owned channels. Secondly, the three executions culminated in a dramatic escape story captured in a separate piece of content that drove deeper engagement with kids via a search for the dream creatures in real life at LEGOLAND Parks and stores, and digitally on LEGO.com and in the LEGOLife kids app, rewarding kids when they succeeded.

Our animations were crafted to create the most dynamic anamorphic sequence possible. There is no standard size for anamorphic billboards so each scene was built bespoke to the placement. A frame held the branding but also provided a static point of reference to build the 3D movement around. We used this to create jaw dropping moments where the creatures appear to be bursting out of each billboard.

Our sequence happened in three stages:

Stage 1: We drove anticipation and curiosity by revealing dream portals.

Stage 2: Each creature burst out of the portal and interacted with space around them. We added scenery to set up dramatic moments of action, glass panels were shattered and concrete panels smashed to dust.

Stage 3: Our sequence culminated in a series of dramatic escapes through the sides of the billboards. This set up further engagement via a hunt for the dream creatures online.