LEGO Breaks the Mold and Designs a Play Set for Adults
The Danish toymaker's Forma line is specifically targeted at adults and besides bringing back some childhood joy, can reduce stress and anxiety.
LEGO is one of the most popular toy brands in the world. From DUPLO blocks for little hands to impressively themed Lego sets like Hogwarts castle, it has been loved by children and nostalgic adults for more than 60 years.
While adults will readily buy LEGO sets for children, very few will get them for themselves unless they like to build complex sets, buy a set for nostalgia, or are actually professional architects who use the architectural series to build prototypes, according to Fast Company.
LEGO wants to change this. Adults are an untapped market that LEGO wants to target with its new and engaging Forma line that is designed as a premium experience for adults looking for a fun, engaging way to reconnect with their creative side and to reduce stress while they play.
Forma combines LEGO elements from Technic, a line of interconnecting plastic rods and parts that are used to create advanced models with complex technical functions, and paper skins that are supposed to be colored (adult coloring books are in) by the player.
The Technic pieces are used to build a skeleton for the paper fish (all the current designs are of fish) and then a gear can be operated to make the fish wiggle.
The objective of the Forma line is to use artistic creativity as a way to make adults relax and de-stress; after all creativity may be the new midlife crisis cure. Maybe the line is comprised as fish because looking at aquariums is also supposed to be very relaxing.
This project was launched by LEGO ideas, the toy makers platform for open source innovation. People can submit their own design idea or vote for other people's ideas. If the project receives 10,000 votes, the company will review it for possible use and if the idea is used, the original designer will receive 1 percent of the royalties.
Instead of doing a traditional project launch, LEGO crowdfunded the idea on Indiegogo for $46 each; the market price is $66. The basic set comes with a Koi fish and other fish skins will be sold for $15 each. LEGO exceeded its perk goal of 500 by 1,334 percent and raised $1.4 million.
Tom Donaldson, the chief of the Creative Playlab at the LEGO group told Fast Company that the company decided to crowdfund as a way to appeal to adults who aren't regular LEGO builders and as a way to invite new users to help create future products.
If Forma takes off, the way it looks like it will, it could replace knitting, puzzles and yes, adult coloring as one of the most popular stress reducing hobbies.
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