LEGO launches first Adidas Originals Superstar buildable trainer in latest brand extension

The LEGO Group has launched its first buildable sneaker, a LEGO brick building set based on the popular Adidas sneaker model, the Superstar. The move, a first in both the toy and streetwear space, is the latest development in the ongoing partnership between the Danish toy maker and Adidas Originals.

The set launches in celebration of an extended collaboration between the two global brands that also witnesses the launch of a new series of Adidas Originals LEGO Superstar sneakers that melds the archival aesthetics of the Adidas Originals Superstar with LEGO’s recognisable styling.

Playfully reimagining the iconic silhouette, the LEGO Superstar sneaker in adult sizing features a classic white and black leather construction that is elevated with custom three stripes, shelltoe, and heel tab, which have been crafted to emulate the LEGO brick pattern. 

The adult version of the shoe is complimented in kids sizing, this time bringing a colourful and playful LEGO take on the Superstar and rounding out options for the whole family.

Meanwhile, the never-before-seen LEGO sneaker offering will allow fans to recreate the iconic Adidas sneaker from LEGO elements to build their own collectable display piece.

The LEGO version of the sneaker includes the Adidas Originals Superstar graphics, shell toe shape, trefoil logo and serrated three stripes mark. This set includes 17 extra LEGO elements, allowing fans to build either the right-foot or left-foot sneaker. For extra realism, it even has shoelaces and comes in an authentic shoe box.

The model measures over 12 cm high, 27cm long and 9cm wide and with a display stand and plaque.

 To celebrate the creativity and spirit of reinvention that’s inherent to the LEGO adidas Originals Superstar model, the LEGO Group asked six inspiring and diverse creatives to customize their own version of the brick-built sneaker, and now invites all fans to do the same, uploading their personal expressions on social media using the hashtag #builtbyoriginals.

“As a kid of the ’80s and growing up in the ’90s, the Superstar sneaker with its rich street art culture was such an iconic item, and that’s also when I got my first pair,” said Florian Müller, senior designer, LEGO Group.

“So when the collaboration with Adidas started I was super excited to work on this model. As shoes represent very organic objects, made from flexible material that also look different on every person, it was a fun challenge to translate this into the LEGO System in Play, which by nature is square and blocky.

“Thanks to the Superstar team at adidas Originals it’s been a super collaborative process with valuable insights shared about the art of shoe making, and now we just look forward to seeing how fans will take to the model, customizing it in their own unique and wonderful ways.”

 The Adidas Originals and the LEGO Group collaborative Superstar LEGO sneaker arrives on July 1st and is available in adult and junior sizing through adidas.com/LEGO, and select retailers. 

 The LEGO® adidas Originals Superstar 10282 model also launches on July 1st and will be exclusively available at www.lego.com/adidas-superstar, LEGO stores, adidas.com and Adidas stores globally. The recommend retail price is £79.99.

Posh Paws to showcase latest licensed plush line-up through six Product Showcase Events across the UK

Posh Paws is to host six Product Showcase Events across the UK this June, enabling its customers to see its portfolio of new licensed plush toys and gifts in person. The move has been made in accordance to the latest easing of restrictions on social distancing.

Next month, visitors will be able to see the new licensed product from across Posh Paws’ portfolio of leading brands, including Sesame Street, Jurassic World, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Croods 2: A New Age, and Swizzels Rainbow Drops.

New lines from the popular Sunny Bunnies, BBC Earth, Ragtales, and Love Hearts will also be showcased, as well as a raft of new own-brand product developments.

‘Posh Paws has ensured that all these showcase events will be 100 per cent Covid-Secure and adhere to all government and venue guidelines, making the safety of customers and staff a priority,’ the firm said in a statement.

The six locations of their Product Showcase Events are listed below and if you are nearby or able to travel to them, please get in touch to book an appointment today:

ABERGELE SHOW: Tuesday 8th – Thursday 10th June

Kinmel Manor Hotel, St George Road, Abergele, LL22 9AS


BLACKPOOL SHOW: Monday 14
th – Friday 18th June

De Vere Village Hotel, East Park Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 8LL


BRISTOL SHOW: Monday 21
st – Thursday 24th June

The Bristol, Prince Street, Bristol, BS1 4QF


GREAT YARMOUTH SHOW: Monday 7
th – Thursday 10th June

Ocean Room, Pier Gardens, Gorleston-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, NR31 6PP


SKEGNESS SHOW: Monday 14
th – Thursday 17th June

Southview Hotel, Burgh Road, Skegness, PE25 2LA


YORK SHOW: Monday 21
st – Thursday 24th June

The Principal York Hotel, Station Road, York, YO24

 

Alternatively, customers who would prefer to book a virtual product showroom tour can do so by arranging this with one of Posh Paws’ sales representatives.

“With the Plush toy category showing the largest sales growth in April, it’s the perfect time to make sure you’re stocking the highest quality plush from the biggest and best-selling licenses that Posh Paws has to offer,” said the company.

For more information on Posh Paws Product Showcase Events, call them on 01268 567317 or email them at sales@poshpawsinternational.co.uk

Rubik’s brand sees ‘phenomenal growth’ in digital uptake throughout the world’s lockdown period

The Rubik’s brand has reported a ‘phenomenal growth’ in digital engagement from its community of Rubik’s Cube fans and followers of the brand extension, driven, it states, by the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures taken across the globe.

It’s during the brand’s 40th anniversary that it has ramped up its digital and social measures in a move to counter the momentary pause placed on face to face meetings and gatherings, a cornerstone of the Rubik’s brand. The company even jumped on the chance to develop a social campaign to educate people how to solve a Rubik’s Cube while engaging with the brand from home.

The brand’s website now includes downloadable and mobile-friendly solution guides, while the YouTube channel features videos to suit all skill levels.

Several Rubik’s ambassadors including Keaton Ellis from the USA and Jack Cai from Australia have been recruited to inspire and teach people all about the solve, and each Friday they broadcast to the Rubik’s social Channel’s subscribers and followers, with the hashtag #FastFriday.

Christoph Bettin, the Rubik’s Brand CEO, said: “We quickly learned at the start of the lockdown that solving interest was at an all-time high by those choosing to occupy their time with learning a new skill. Very quickly, the term #CubeAtHome was seen by over 17 million people on the TikTok channel, and this spread to other social media platforms with #AdventureEveryTurn hitting 2.1 million views in just one month.

“We amplified social channel interest with a new campaign called ‘Adventure Every Turn’, which encouraged cube fans to view solution guides and enjoy the challenge of unravelling a scrambled cube.”

The Rubik’s Cube – invented by Professor Erno Rubik – started out life as a means to teach his architectural students. 40 years on and it has evolved into the world’s most successful single toy. To date, nearly half a billion Rubik’s Cubes have been sold, and in 2020 over 20 million Rubik’s product are expected to be sold globally.

Along the way, Rubik’s has formed several partnerships to create new and unique Rubik’s themed products outside of games and puzzles, including its Etch-A-Sketch partnership with Spin Master, The OP, Perplexus, DeKryptic and Marvin’s Magic.

Bettin concluded: “Face to face events are on hold for reasons of safety and social distancing, but we’ve seen a phenomenal growth in digital engagement. This change in circumstance has seen a massive growth of interest in puzzles and games, together with a yearning for nostalgia.

“The ’80s is now a decade admired even by those too young to experience it the first time around. We will continue to celebrate during our anniversary year, when events that were hitherto ‘in person’ may well be adapted to online experiences. You cannot beat the power of face to face gatherings, but we look forward to providing exciting interactive alternatives.”

 

LEGO launches #letsbuildtogether and donates $50m to children in need in fight against coronavirus

The LEGO Group and LEGO Foundation have joined forces to address the critical needs of children as the globe continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, including a $50m donation to kids most in need and the launch of the #letsbuildtogether campaign.

The initiatives have been established to aid all children, from the most vulnerable in refugee camps and war-torn countries, to those currently waiting out a community quarantine.

The LEGO Foundation has donated $50m to support children in need and ensure they have access to learning through play. The donation will be split between three groups of partners, including Education Cannot Wait – a charity that provides education for children caught in emergencies; a selection of existing LEGO Foundation partners whose work is under pressure from COVID-19; and charity partners serving communities where the LEGO Group has a significant presence.

Niels B Christiansen, CEO, the LEGO Group, said: “We know it is difficult that children are away from their classrooms and their regular learning environments. We want to help parents and families do their best and we know that when children play, they learn.

“They learn life-long skills such as collaboration, communication and problem solving. We’re committed to continuing to support, develop and inspire children through this tumultuous time.”

John Goodwin, CEO, the LEGO Foundation, added: “We cannot let COVID-19 setback a generation of children. Research shows that while learning through play is vital for children’s psychological, emotional and cognitive health and development, it also hones the resilience they need to overcome adversity and build their futures.

“We must support all children, including the most vulnerable in society, to ensure they continue to have access to education and develop skills critical for them to thrive in a constantly changing world. We are honoured to be able to collaborate and support Education Cannot Wait and our other partners who are working extremely hard in unforgiving circumstances to bring education, hope and a future to the most vulnerable children.”

This latest donation adds to the $212 million in grants the LEGO Foundation has made during the past 18 months to bring learning through play to children affected by crises. This includes a US$100 million grant awarded to International Rescue Committee and its consortium of partners in December 2019; a $12.5 million grant awarded to Education Cannot Wait in September 2019 and US$100 million grant awarded to Sesame Workshop in December 2018.

Yasmine Sherif, Education Cannot Wait Director, said: “We are grateful that the LEGO Foundation has stepped forward as the first private sector partner to contribute to our COVID-19 response. This generous donation will allow Education Cannot Wait to scale up its support of a coordinated response among governments, UN agencies and civil society organisations to bring a glimmer of hope to children of all ages in the most crisis-affected countries in the world.

“Learning must continue in the midst of the pandemic. The LEGO Foundation’s commitment to learning through play is a shining example of what’s possible and we encourage more philanthropic, private sector and government donor partners to come forward.”

Meanwhile, LEGO has established a second initiative, inspired by the impact of the crisis on children’s education and following estimates from UNESCO that over 160 countries have implemented nationwide school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Figures suggest that more than 1.5bn school-aged children are currently out of school.

To address this, LEGO has assembled its designers, STEM gurus, creatives, and play experts to come up with new ways to provide play-based learning ideas to children and parents. The firm hopes to alleviate some of the strain and stress for families while keeping children engaged and curious.

As a result, LEGO has developed its www.LEGO.com/letsbuildtogether and launched #letsbuildtogether across its social channels as a way to share building ideas, daily challenges set by LEGO designers, retro builds, and live build-a-longs with fans everywhere.

Play experts from the LEGO Foundation will also share ways to inspire learning through all types of play which will help children develop life-long skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving while out of school.

The hope is that while communities may not be able to meet physically, they can connect, share their creativity and inspire each other.

Julia Goldin, chief marketing officer, the LEGO Group, said: “We’ve been amazed by the creativity shown by children and adults around the world while they stay at home. We’re grateful for the calls, emails and messages from fans who say LEGO play is helping to comfort them.

“It’s more important than ever that we find ways to stay connected, supported and inspired in order to safeguard our health and wellbeing. Play is a great way to do this, and we want to support LEGO fans of all ages to build and play.

“The amazing team at the LEGO Group came up with the idea for #letsbuildtogether as a way to offer support and inspiration to parents as they face the challenge of keeping children engaged and educated at home while juggling their own work and wellbeing.” 

David Pallash, LEGO Play Agent, concluded: “With many parents worried about juggling work with childcare and schooling, play could be one of the easiest, and most fun ways of supporting a child’s education and development. Children say they learn best when activities feel like play, while nine in 10 parents feel that play helps their child develop key skills such as resilience, collaboration, creativity and communication.

“Not only is play essential to a child’s development, but it benefits the whole family too. Parents say that playing with their child is good for their own wellbeing and happiness and importantly in tough times, it also helps them relax and connect with their children.”