LEGO’s Reinvention: Brickbuilder Revenue Grows as Company Taps Into Pop Culture, Invests in New Customers

For decades, LEGO was synonymous with kids and adults who never let go of their love for the little interlocking bricks. Today, the brand continues to reinvent itself by appealing to the inner child in all of us, offering sets that let consumers recreate some of pop culture’s most iconic moments. This shift allows the brand to invest in new customers, resulting in continued revenue growth.

CNBC reported that revenue during the first six months of 2024 jumped 13%, reaching $4.65 billion. So while other toymakers appear to have struggled, what’s in LEGO’s secret sauce?

Since the pandemic, LEGO has shifted its company’s focus toward not only children but adults as well. In addition to sets tied to popular franchises such as “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars,” LEGO has created designs for consumers to build flowers and succulents, famous works of art, and animals. And it appears price is no object when it comes to customers’ love for these bricks. Some of the more intricate sets top out at almost $700 for a Titanic replica and $850 for a scale model of the “Star Wars” Millenium Falcon.

The company’s CEO, Niels Christiansen, told CNBC in August that the company’s diverse portfolio is its strength. Throughout the year, the brickbuilder debuted new items in its Icons and Creator lines and via its partnership with Epic Games’ “Fortnite.” This subsequently resulted in sales growth in both the United States and Europe.

According to Interbrand, LEGO’s growth places the company as one of the Best Global Brands of 2024. Throughout the year, its growth was up by 7%, and it placed 58th overall on the brand list between Goldman Sachs and Nissan.

What Is It About Pop Culture That Continues To Draw LEGO Fans?

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From miniature models of the Emerald City from “Wicked” to Wednesday and Enid’s dorm room in “Wednesday,” LEGO has tapped into pop culture to bring fan-favorite stories to life in brick form. Pulling ideas from the intellectual properties of movies and television shows allows the brand to continue engaging consumers who are willing to pay for the opportunity to recreate their favorite pop culture moments.

According to CNBC, LEGO’s first licensed partnership took place in 1999. The company worked with Lucasfilm to bring “Star Wars” sets to the public, tapping into a robust market of film buffs who wanted to build small-scale replicas of their favorite characters and moments from the film. Since that first “Star Wars” collaboration, the brickbuilder has translated “Harry Potter,” “Lord of the Rings,” “Ghostbusters,” Marvel, DC, “Jurassic Park” and Pixar movies into LEGO creations.

In 2024, the company also recreated kits that reflect the Sanderson sisters from “Hocus Pocus” and the “Jaws” shark. These builds are catered toward existing customers or those who perhaps didn’t find a kinship with a particular set until they saw some of the brand’s cityscapes, pop culture tie-ins, brick versions of legendary paintings, or LEGO’s hugely popular line of botanical sets.

In 2025, LEGO will continue its growth with upwards of 150 new sets ranging from those geared toward children to those featuring characters adults loved from their childhood. Price points range from $5 to $230.