MONTREAL – In a move that has met with some controversy, Danish toy manufacturer Lego has launched a new line of toys as part of an effort to attract female customers.
As 80 per cent of sales have typically gone to boys, Lego hopes the new line will broaden its appeal to girls.
“We embarked on four years worth of comprehensive, global research with 3,500 girls and their moms to understand what would make Lego play more interesting for more girls,” said Mads Nipper, Executive Vice President, Marketing in a statement.
And the result is Heartlake City for girls aged 5 and older, a part of the Lego Friends range which launched in North America at the beginning of January.
The Lego Friends story centres on the everyday lives and personalities of five girls in a fictional hometown called Heartlake City. Each of the friends has a distinct personality and interests that correspond with Lego sets such as a bakery, a splash pool, a stage, an inventor’s workshop, a puppy house and a design studio.
Lego Group Chief Executive Officer Jørgen Vig Knudstorp told Bloomberg Businessweek that this was Lego’s biggest product launch in a decade – the company will splash out a cool $40 million to market the new line.
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But will girls buy it?
Undoubtedly yes – Lego is the third largest toy manufacturer in the world. Their toys encourage building and creativity and it’s widely agreed that its toys have educational benefits for both boys and girls.
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But close to 50,000 people have already signed a petition asking Lego to realize that the “toys our children play with today help shape them into the leaders we want them to be tomorrow.”
What’s the fuss? Critics say that the new line may contribute to gender stereotyping and promote body issues.
The toys send girls a message “that being pretty is more important than who you are or what you can do,” said Carolyn Costin, an eating disorders specialist and founder of the Monte Nido Treatment Center in Malibu, in a statement.
Lego Friends’ sets like the beauty parlour and puppy house are miles away from the Lego Creator or Architecture series, which are aimed at boys.
Yet supporters say that this is just what little girls want.
In interviews with thousands of girls and their mothers, Lego found that girls wanted more beauty, interior building and accessories, according to a news release.
If reviews are anything to go by, many parents love the new line.
Girls Action Foundation, Canada’s national girls’ empowerment organization based in Montreal, thinks Lego’s move to market toys specifically to girls is not surprising.
“This controversy shows how prevalent gender stereotypes still are, even today in 2012!” says its executive director, Saman Ahsan.
“The good news is that more people are questioning the limited expectations of girls and want more toy options that emphasize girls’ creativity and intelligence.”
Already, Lego lovers are playing with the new line in unexpected ways, like creating an action figure with a Lego Friends figurine or by building a spaceship.
Perhaps this is what the spirit of Lego is all about.
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