LONDON, UK – LEGO is one of the world’s biggest toy brands and it’s got some big numbers to go with it: Its YouTube channel has almost 20 million subscribers, with over 100 billion viewing hours racked up last year. In the last five years alone, LEGO has doubled in size and doubled in revenue.
Speaking at the D&AD Festival in London held on May 21, 2025, Emma Perkins, Head of LEGO Agency EMEA, shared the “secret sauce” behind the Danish brand’s success and continued evolution, as it aims to stay true to its mission: Play Well.
Brand at the heart of the business
LEGO’s in-house agency has over 420 people based in hubs in Europe, Asia, and the United States. The agency is the “creative and strategic powerhouse” inside LEGO, leading on everything from packaging and identity, to social content and TV, as well as everything you see in stores. Emma says, “My goals are exactly the same as the marketing team and as the product team, which means that we’re all pulling together to make sure that our products are a success.”
According to Emma, only about 15% of in-house agencies would say that they take the lead when working with external agencies. At LEGO, the in-house agency takes the lead on procuring external content creators, production companies, and agencies, along with overseeing the production budget. Emma believes that the in-house teams’ rich understanding of the brand combines with the external partners to really push boundaries and keep things fresh. “We learn fast, and we learn from our mistakes,” she added.
“The original creator brand”
Emma declared that LEGO has some of the best fans in the world and the business does not underestimate the power of that community. “We don’t just talk to fans, we build with them,” she said. As an example, Emma points to Lego Star Wars — a 25-year-old partnership with Lucas Films, which she claims is one of the longest running and most successful brand collaborations in history.
For the recent anniversary celebration of the partnership, although the in-house agency created a huge world of online and in store activations to mark the moment, they started with something for the community. The 25-second Film Festival invited fans to make their own tribute films. The best ones were cut together and shared on social media, and at special screenings.
”Our community isn’t just an audience. It’s a creative force,” Emma said. “We give fans the space to co-create this and to feel part of the story.” And that means rewarding them in unexpected ways. For “May the 4th” events, the previously untouchable LEGO logo was translated into the Star Wars Galactic language, “Aurebesh,” turning the shopping bags into instant collectibles.
Emma finished with this takeaway, “At 90 years young, it’s that spirit of playful reinvention, those possibilities, that we believe really keeps the LEGO brand relevant and future ready.”
About the Writer
Maeve O’Sullivan is the founder of PR & marketing consultancy MOScomms. She has spent 20 years working with brands and agencies across the creative industries, including D&AD and WPP.
