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BILLUND, Denmark (December 19, 2011) /PRNewswire/
LEGO® GROUP DECLARES NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION FOR 2012: DELIVER MEANINGFUL PLAY
EXPERIENCES TO GIRLS WORLDWIDE WITH NEW LEGO® FRIENDS
Company brings classic construction play to the girls’ aisle with first-of-
its-kind LEGO® mini-doll figure, three new brick colors and detailed interiors
that reflect four years of research in play needs of girls
BILLUND, Denmark: The LEGO Group, the world’s leading construction toy brand,
today announced LEGO® Friends, a new play theme that tailors the iconic LEGO
construction experience especially to girls ages five and up. LEGO Friends
delivers on a girl’s desire for realistic role-play, creativity, and a
highly-detailed, character-based world with the core values of LEGO building.
The LEGO Friends collection of 23 products ranges in price from $5.99 to $99.99
USD and the first 14 will be available for sale in select toy, discount
merchandise, specialty and online stores beginning December 26, 2011 in the
United Kingdom and January 1, 2012 in the United States. A rolling International
launch will follow in the spring, with the remaining nine sets launching in the
summer months.
“We felt it was time to test assumptions that girls aren’t interested in
building and to breathe fresh air into a toy category filled mostly with
pre-fabricated play experiences for girls,” said Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO, LEGO
Group. “We focused on creating a play experience centered on the joy of
creation, while heeding the way girls naturally build and play. We are
incredibly proud of the solution we deliver with LEGO Friends, and are resolved
to build this platform for years to come.”
LEGO Friends is the first 100 percent LEGO building experience fully optimized
to girls’ tastes and interests. Thousands of girls and their mothers worldwide
participated in intensive research that validated the desire for more beauty,
realistic details, accessories and interior building and role play opportunities
in a LEGO offering.
Introducing the LEGO mini-doll figure
Anchored by the introduction of a new mini-doll figure, LEGO Friends introduces
a new LEGO minifigure platform tailored to girls’ requests for a more realistic,
relatable and stylized figure. Designed to the same scale of the classic LEGO
minifigure, the mini-doll figure stands roughly 5 millimeters taller than its
minifigure sibling, yet features similar constructability, shares the iconic
“claw” hand to hold the same accessories, can wear the same hair and headpieces,
and is compatible with all LEGO building sets. A total of 29 different mini-doll
figures will be introduced in 2012.
“LEGO Friends is one of the most researched LEGO projects ever and is a
culmination of years of anthropological research with girls around the world to
understand what they expect from a construction toy,” said Nanna Ulrich Gudum,
senior creative director, LEGO Group. “In talking with girls and their moms, we
understand that girls really want a LEGO offering that mirrors what the boys
experience, but in a way that fulfills their unique desire for remodeling and
redesign, combined with realistic themes in community and friendship.”
“Unlike previous LEGO toys for girls, LEGO Friends, at its core, does not
apologize for being a construction toy and delivers, for the first time, a
building experience in the same scale as our classic offerings,” Nanna Ulrich
Gudum continued. “What LEGO Friends does differently is deliver the beauty,
details, accessories, real world themes and need for strong interior play that
the research revealed would make all the difference for girls ages 5 and up.”
Welcome to Heartlake City
The LEGO Friends story centers on the everyday lives and personalities of five
girls in a fictional hometown called Heartlake City. Each of the friends—Olivia,
Mia, Andrea, Stephanie and Emma—has a distinct personality and interests, such
as animals, performing arts, invention and design, that are reflected in the
models. Building sets reflect different parts of town where the girls’
adventures take place—downtown, suburbs, beach, camping grounds and mountains.
The product collection
Half of the launch collection includes construction sets themed to introduce
girls to each of the “Friend’s” personalities, including: Stephanie’s Outdoor
Bakery, Emma’s Splash Pool, Andrea’s Stage, Olivia’s Inventor’s Workshop,
Stephanie’s Pet Patrol, Mia’s Puppy House and Emma’s Design Studio. Girls are
also invited to construct the Friends’ favorite locations in Heartlake City with
larger building sets, including: Stephanie’s Cool Convertible, Olivia’s Tree
House, Heartlake Dog Show, Butterfly Beauty Shop, City Park Café, Heartlake Vet,
and Olivia’s House. The remaining nine sets launching later in the year deliver
the same range in price and theme.
Experiencing LEGO Friends
Children will be immersed in the new world they can create with LEGO Friends
through a variety of brand experiences planned for 2012. In addition to
providing product information, the LEGO Friends website will allow children to
explore the personalities of each of the five Friends and the different spots in
Heartlake City. The site will also feature an avatar creator, mini-movies,
games, video building tips, story extensions, contests, news and an events
calendar. Also planned are Interactive building events and road shows,
promotions, magazines, digital content, a mini movie, in-store experiences,
books and more. Check LEGOFriends.com for more
information.
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NEW PRODUCT FEATURES
LEGO Mini-Doll Figure: Tailored to girls’ requests for a more realistic,
relatable and stylized figure, the new mini-doll figure stands roughly 5
millimeters taller than its minifigure sibling, yet features similar
constructability, shares the iconic “claw” hand to hold the same accessories,
can wear the same hair and headpieces, and is compatible with all LEGO building
sets. 29 different mini-doll figures will be introduced in 2012.
New Colors: Three new LEGO element colors—two blues and a lavender—and three
new deco colors—two greens and another purple—were added to create LEGO Friends.
Rich World: The LEGO Friends story centers on the everyday lives and
personalities of five girls—Olivia, Mia, Andrea, Stephanie and Emma—in Heartlake
City. Each girl’s personality and interests are reflected in the collection.
LEGO Systems Inc. (LSI) is the Americas division of the LEGO Group, a
privately-held firm based in Billund, Denmark that is the world’s leading
manufacturer of construction toys. The company is committed to the development
of children’s creative and imaginative abilities through high-quality,
creatively educational play materials, and its employees are guided by the motto
adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: “Only the best is good
enough.” For more information, visit LEGO.com.
LEGO, the LEGO logo and the minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2011
The LEGO Group.
SOURCE The LEGO Group
From LEGO Website:
AboutUs.LEGO.com
and
Marketwatch.com
-end of report-
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In lugnet.mediawatch, Abner Finley wrote:
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BILLUND, Denmark (December 19, 2011) /PRNewswire/
LEGO® GROUP DECLARES NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION FOR 2012: DELIVER MEANINGFUL PLAY
EXPERIENCES TO GIRLS WORLDWIDE WITH NEW LEGO® FRIENDS
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The new Friends sets are beginning to appear at WalMart US. I saw about 7 or 8
of them on a shelf a few days ago. My first thought upon seeing them was “is
Belville coming back ?”
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In lugnet.market.shopping, Ray Sanders wrote:
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My first thought upon seeing them was “is Belville coming back ?”
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I personally hope so, because my girls still miss Belville.
--
Brian Davis
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In lugnet.market.shopping, Brian Davis wrote:
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In lugnet.market.shopping, Ray Sanders wrote:
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My first thought upon seeing them was “is Belville coming back ?”
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I personally hope so, because my girls still miss Belville.
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Click on the “Official LEGO Belville website” in LUGNET header, and it redirects
you to the LEGO Friends site. So I guess Belville is coming back in the form of
the LEGO Friends.
JOHN
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