Dear LEGO,
Here we are again. You know, I was just getting to the point where I was over the whole Friends debacle. You had the lady scientists collection that mollified me a bit. You were including Black Widow and Rey and Scarlet Witch in your licensed sets. Hey, I was even at the point where I had started to vaguely forget that you had Cap riding Widow’s motorcycle in the Age of Ultron set, ignoring that amazing scene for one of the only female action heroes we all have. I mean, my son is the kid who has to build the sets exactly as they are on the box and hasn’t seen the movie so he just assumed Cap was The Man doing The Cool Stuff.
I’ve even gotten to the point where I can accept from a marketing perspective that branching out into “doll” types of figures might not be bad. Despite the fact that I wish you wouldn’t assume a gender to all of those Friends sets, I can admit that some are pretty darn amazeballs.
See, but then today. #LEGODad: a community for dads. I love dads. I have one, and I helped make my husband one. If I didn’t like dads, I’d be in a pretty sad place. In fact, I don’t actually hate the idea of a community for dads. I think it’s awesome. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t write for the GeekDad/GeekMom website. Dads are awesome. The part of this campaign that I love is that for once an ad treats dads respectfully. Instead of the hands-off doofus caricature we normally get, you’re promoting a way for dads who do stuff with their kids to show it off and connect with one another. Mad props to you for that.
I totally think that as a lead-up to Father’s Day, this is a wonderful tribute to dads who hang out with their kids.
BUT (yup, here comes the negative that comes after the “but”).
I never saw a #LEGOMom hashtag at Mother’s Day.
I never saw a LEGOMom community for moms who do LEGO with their kids.
Why not? Why weren’t there LEGO promotions for Mother’s Day? I like LEGO. I’ve gotten several sets as gifts from my husband. I built the entire Doctor Who TARDIS set myself. I built the General Leia ship myself. I used the Leia/Han minifigures from the Force Awakens sets as the contact photo for my husband.
I’m glad that we’ve accepted that little girls like to build with LEGO blocks. It’s a step in the right direction. Actually, it’s probably about fifteen steps in the right direction. Props to you for that.
BUT (yup, again).
All the moms were once those same little girls. You know that ad from the ’80s that keeps circulating? The one with the little girl in pigtails and overalls who loves LEGO? Guess who that is.
It’s the moms. It’s the moms who all grew up from little girls and taught their children, regardless of gender, to love LEGO.
Why are we here again, LEGO?
I love your product, but I really can’t handle your marketing. You’re teaching my son implicitly what he should do with his dad compared to his mom. You’re teaching little girls that it’s ok to play with the LEGO now but when they’ve got kids, it’s dad playing with them who matters.
Honestly, if we hadn’t already had this conversation about LEGO Friends, then about girls in various sets, then about the women in science set, then about the colors for girls, then… And then… And…
Here we go again.
LEGO, it’s not the #LEGODad hashtag that bugs me. It really isn’t. It’s the fact that, no matter how many times my female friends and I ask you to include us, you still seem to forget that we actually enjoy using your product. It’s about you acknowledging us as part of your core demographic.
Because we are.
But (yup, one last time.)
Maybe you need to think about how long we will be.
Sincerely,
LEGOMom
