Lego, the world’s largest and most profitable toymaker, is zeroing in on a growing demographic: stressed-out adults. The 87-year-old Danish company increasingly bills its brightly colored bricks as a way to drown out the noise of the day and perhaps achieve a measure of mindfulness.
Adults have become a coveted market for toymakers confronting increased competition and waning sales growth, and it doesn’t hurt that they are more likely to drop $800 on a 7,541-piece Star Wars Millennium Falcon set or $400 for the Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle, which is on Briggs’s wish list. Adults with high-pressured jobs are telling us they’re using Lego to disconnect from the mania of the day.
They’re looking for a relaxing, calming experience — and they like instructions because that’s what helps them be in the zone. The company spent the past five years revamping instruction manuals to make kits foolproof for frazzled adults. Last year, Lego introduced a line of koi fish and shark models with soothing movements to appeal to builders in search of a “joyful creative challenge.” Lego’s appeal, of course, spans generations. Adult fans of Lego — known colloquially as AFOLs — have inspired dozens of Facebook and Reddit groups and at least one “blocumentary.”
