LEGO continues to be vocal about the Black Lives Matter movement as the company pulls advertising for White House and police-related sets. The death of George Floyd sparked a new wave of the Black Lives Matter movement. Protesters from all walks of life have taken to the streets, and to social media, to speak out against police violence against the black community. Companies have also been using their platforms to share their own messages on the movement. The extent of these messages range from PSA posts to donations and taking action.
LEGO is one of the companies who has made an effort to do all three. The toy company made a social media post on Wednesday expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matters movement. Not only did the company also initiate a call to action on the matter, it responded to its own call. LEGO donated $4 million to foundations that support the education of black youths and educate all children about racial equality. While the company has received some push back from concerned parents fearing their children are too young to be exposed to the topic, LEGO continues to take action that support the movement.
According to The Toy Book, Rakuten Linkshare of LEGO Group has contacted marketers asking them to halt promotions for more than 30 LEGO building sets involving police-related pieces and minifigures. The company's definition of "police-related" extends to police officers, criminals, firefighters, props like handcuffs and emergency vehicles and buildings. Some of the muted sets include LEGO City Police Station, Police Dog Unit, Patrol Car, Fire Plane, Mobile Command Center, Police Highway Arrest, and even LEGO City Donut Shop. Additionally the email listed the adult builder LEGO Creator version of The White House.
When the email initially went out, many promoters including fansites, were confused about the status of these products. They wondered whether LEGO would stop selling these products entirely Some were upset by the idea of pulling these products from the shelves entirely. Others felt it might be necessary in order to effectively deliver the movement's message to children. However, a spokesperson from the company clarified that only the advertising of these products is being axed, not the products themselves. The products still remain available for purchase on the LEGO site.
“We requested that our affiliate partners refrain from posting promotional LEGO content as part of our decision to respect #BlackOutTuesday and pause posting content on our social media channels in response to the tragic events in the US. We regret any misunderstanding and will ensure that we are clearer about our intentions in the future.”
LEGO is supporting the Black Lives Matter movement to an extent which many other companies seem afraid. Not only is the company openly making a firm stance in this intense political matter, but it has sacrificed the promotion of some of its own products in order to support the movement. While it may seem extreme, it's important that children-focused companies are vocal on this matter. Others may argue that LEGO isn't going far enough and should instead stop the production of these toy sets in order to prevent the glorification of police officers. In time, other companies will hopefully join LEGO in using their platform to speak out on the Black Lives Matter movement and take real steps toward helping the black community.
Source: The Toy Book