building trust
But the snow didn’t melt overnight, Mackey continues his story. “For years our fans arranged everything on their own without any support from us. There was a lot of skepticism in the first years of the transition”.
Christina Hitchcock, who organized the first rally lego In the summer of 2000, further stated that in addition to feeling neglected and underappreciated, some of the conference participants also felt “socially isolated because of their hobby” and initially “feared that they would not have to participate in that”. to be rejected in some way by the company whose products had made them so happy.” ,
To remove these apprehensions, lego Hitchcock and two other rally organizers were invited to Billund to meet the company’s top management, who, in turn, began attending major fan conventions, often bringing large amounts of money with them. lego,
The reconciliation process reached a turning point in August 2005 when the CEO of lego, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp attended a fan convention and saw firsthand an influx of passionate adults. “I cannot describe the energy that flowed in that room when the CEO lego He took the stage to say, “I see a future where we work together,” Smith-Mayer recalls.
The budding partnership actually created some of the company’s most popular and engaging themes and memorable challenges lego builderThe Ambassador Network And this vip programThe lego league and the company’s first official fan convention, the lego cone In 2021.
Within a few years, anyone could submit an idea for a set, and if they gained enough fan support, the company would produce it. Line lego ideas now includes a set dedicated to the sitcom big bang theory and time machine Delorean of film back to the future,
Fan rallies also became major recruiting opportunities for new talent. one of the most famous AFOL Recruits include designer Jamie Berard and Chicago architect Adam Reed Tucker.
Berard joined the company in 2005 and designed many of the sets and themes. lego Most loved by the public including seasonal, train sets and modular series. “Jamie is like a superstar in the world lego Today,’ confirmed director Jung.
Tucker began collaborating lego in 2007 as its producer and co-developer lego architectureA popular product line that includes iconic buildings such as the White House, Leaning Tower of Pisa andOpera House of Sydney. also became the keynote speaker of lego education and early supporters of the program lego master builderThe team in charge of making sculptures around the world lego full size.
like many others AFOLThe architect was fascinated by bricks lego at an early age. He says, “My best memory of when I was young is the ability to use my three-dimensional creativity without the use of scissors and glue.” bricks lego They were the “perfect medium” for designing works of art and encouraging creativity.
Like Tucker, Mackey knew the allure and potential of lego It went way beyond the game. “If only I had at least one credit for the years I spent working lego”, he explains, “I hope I have managed to convince people that these bricks are much more than a toy, they are a creative medium like pencils or water colors and can be used to create artistic creations.” May go.”
McKee envisioned the day lego Will offer products for every age group: a plastic vase on a desk, a London cityscape on a shelf or a Beatles portrait on the wall: all works of art made entirely out of bricks lego,
Recently I went to a shop to goals And I saw three generations of men, all standing in submission in the aisle lego who saw completely different buildings,” he adds. At that moment, he knew that his efforts had paid off.
“once there lego He never paid any attention to his adult customers, but today he treats them like partners”, he concluded. “Now, if you go up to someone in the company and say lego programs should be cut AFOLYou are thrown out immediately”.