As the LEGO Group continues to push into the Southeast Asian toy market, Blocks wonders how the brand can appeal to these diverse cultures…
It’s almost impossible to imagine toy shelves without LEGO sets and homes that don’t have plastic bricks scattered over the floor. While LEGO bricks are a household staple across Western countries, it’s a different picture globally. Currently the LEGO Group is determined to grow its market share into the Southeast Asian region, in countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. In April a new factory opened in Vietnam that aims to streamline the supply chain of products throughout these regions and the LEGO Group claims that the investment has been successful so far.
According to the latest statistics, LEGO sets make up about 80% of the construction and educational toy sector in Japan, but face competition from homegrown brands like Bandai. It’s a similar situation within the Chinese market. Even after many rounds of litigation, there are still knock off sets from clone brands readily available that are much cheaper than authentic LEGO sets (but are generally lower quality and a less safe product). In Korea it’s a slightly different story, as LEGO bricks are more commonly viewed as a hobby for older fans rather than for children.
There are many reasons why LEGO sets aren’t currently as popular in Southeast Asia as the West. The most obvious is that they originated in Europe and have strong ties to the region. Other factors include pricing, cultural significance, differences in play styles and even the size of homes. When it comes to children playing with LEGO bricks, one of the biggest hurdles that the LEGO Group will need to overcome is how these cultures view play. Learning through play is similar to how it is in Western societies, but there’s a lot of pressure for children to be achieving academically from a young age, so leisure time is much more limited.
Research comparing play styles has also revealed certain major differences – children from Japan, China and Korea engage less in imaginative roleplay and prefer structured play with rules. Playtime often consists of traditional games, including local variations of hopscotch and tag, or playing with marbles and jump-ropes. Open-ended play with toys intended to stimulate storytelling is far less common than it is in Western households. This is likely the biggest challenge the LEGO Group faces in getting the company’s products to break through in Southeast Asia. Play may be universal, but how children play varies significantly.
Although there have been themes inspired by these cultures, including LEGO Monkie Kid (China), NINJAGO (Japan) and Lunar New Year, they are still heavily Western influenced. The new LEGO ONE PIECE theme is based on the Netflix adaptation rather than the original Japanese anime. LEGO Ideas 21339 BTS Dynamite is probably the most culturally authentic set as it recreates the K-pop idols and setting of the music video for one of their most popular songs, though it’s one that is primarily sung in English and features a clearly US inspired location. So how can the LEGO Group appeal more authentically to this market?
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Rather than creating sets that Westernise these cultures, it would make far more sense for the LEGO designers to approach stories and properties that are originally from these countries – and not behemoths like Mario Kart or Animal Crossing with Nintendo marketing budget behind them. It could be Japanese anime like Attack on Titan or My Hero Academia or the numerous Japanese stories that would be perfect as LEGO themes. K-dramas may be made in Korea but they’ve reached international audiences, and while some might be too dark for sets – like Squid Game – there are plenty of fun, lighthearted ones.
Then there’s K-pop itself. When 21339 BTS Dynamite was released, Korean fans broke LEGO.com in the USA as they flocked to get the set. There are many popular groups like ATEEZ, Stray Kids, Black Pink and BTS, who have a global following and the idols would make for the perfect Collectible Minifigures series. The recent K-Pop Demon Hunters movie from Netflix, which is still topping the K-pop and streaming charts, also proves that authentic Southeast Asian storytelling can still appeal to a global audience.
LEGO sets are sold all over the world and no theme is exclusively intended for a single market. The designers don’t need to create a Heaven’s Official Blessing theme to only sell in China or a line of ATEEZ Collectible Minifigures solely for Korean fans. What’s needed are stories and icons authentic to these regions that can also have wider global appeal. The examples above demonstrate that there is plenty of Southeast Asian storytelling that is recognised and loved on a global scale. Whether it’s anime, manga, K-dramas,or K-pop, these fan bases are not exclusive to their countries of origin, just as Star Wars and Marvel fans aren’t limited to Western countries.
Aside from making sets inspired by these cultures, perhaps the most sure fire way to capture the attention of this market is product placement. It’s a very common marketing strategy for brands, but taken to a level beyond the Western idea of just seeing a logo or specific product. K-dramas write product placement into the script of a show, with the characters interacting with the product for a few minutes on screen, singing its praises as if it were a perfectly normal part of the unfolding story. A drama could have a character building LEGO sets on screen as part of a scene.
Right now the LEGO Group is taking steps in the right direction, but hopefully the examples here highlight how far the company could go in adapting to these cultures in order to truly tap into the Southeast Asian toy market. With investment in new stores and play initiatives to support children across these regions, it will be interesting to see how the LEGO brand continues to expand its influence.
What do you think the LEGO Group could be doing to appeal to this toy market? Have you been to a LEGO Store in one of these regions? Tag us in your thoughts and photos on any of the Blocks social media channels to join in the discussion!
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