She Built That is the LEGO Group’s new campaign aims to break down the gendered views of building and has launched with Brick Plaques honouring female builders in London and a new version of RUN DMC’s It’s Like That.
The LEGO Group has launched a new campaign called She Built That, with Brick Plaques in London and a new spin on RUN DMC’s It’s Like That.
A recent global study commissioned by the LEGO Group surveyed 32,605 parents and children and found that 80% of polled adults believe society views boys as naturally better builders than girls. And in turn, girls and women undervalued their own building skills, with 70% of girls finding it hard to think of themselves as being good at building.
In an effort to change these perceptions, the LEGO Group has launched its She Built That campaign, beginning with a version of RUN DMC’s It’s Like That called She Built That! and Brick Plaques marking the work of female architects and builders in London.
The She Built That! song was created with the help of a Global Girls Crew, comprised of DJ Livia, a teenage DJ from the United States, Nandi Brushell, a 15-year-old British drummer, Dutch-Surinamese vocalist Pink Oculus and Chinese alt-pop artist Cacien. The goal of the song is to show girls that female artists are already shaping the world and to inspire them to do the same.
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“RUN DMC has always stood for breaking barriers and inspiring change. We’re exciting to see our classic anthem reimagined as “She Built That”, celebrating the creativity and innovation of girls everywhere. Just as we pushed the limits of hip-hop, we want to inspire a world where every girl recognises her building power,” said Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels.
The music video, a hybrid between LEGO animation and live action, is available to watch on the LEGO Group’s official YouTube channel.
Beyond the music video, the LEGO Group also announced its new campaign in a big way — putting up Brick Plaques honouring female builders across London. The city is well known for its blue plaques — markers that get posted up on buildings and other landmarks honouring historical figures, whether it be for an accomplishment within a space or simply a place of residence.
The LEGO Group took this idea and repurposed it for the She Built That Campaign, placing brick-built plaques proudly declaring “she built that” on four London landmarks. These include Waterloo Bridge (built by an estimated workforce of 65% women), the London Aquatics Centre (co-designed by Zaha Hadid), the London Eye (co-designed by Julia Barfield), and the Supreme Court (refurbishment co-designed by Elsie Owusu).
“We might not realise it, but young girls are building all the time, even when we think they’re not!” said Roma Agrawal, the Structural Engineer of Crystal Palace Station and diversity campaigner for women in engineering. “Whether it’s through the development of physical motor skills or creating new games in their head— all these moments aid in growing their building capabilities. As a society, it’s crucial that we work together to ensure that girls continue developing this skillset into their adult lives.”
“We hope girls and women will see our Brick Plaques and listen to our new anthem, and be empowered to ‘build’ in whatever way feels good to them,” added Kuran Sharma, head of Marketing for the UK & Ireland at the LEGO Group.
And the campaign is far from stopping here—the LEGO Group will host an immersive pop-up at the London Southbank Centre this summer, where girls can participate in a two-day She Built That event. The pop-up will feature dancing, music and building, complete with brick plaques and prizes to recognise the next generation of female builders. Additional workshops will be held in LEGO Stores across the globe, along with online workshops that can be done from home, ensuring girls everywhere have a chance to build.