Why are short-lived themes so good?

[Aanchir]

On 10/24/2019 at 6:54 PM, pooda said:

@Aanchir All of that is very true. But understand fully, I did also acknowledge that the AFOL rate has grown and yes this is based on fact because.....like I said, I have an insider who shall remain anonymous for the sake of preventing issues. He stated that the number of OFOLs (I prefer to call them Older Fans Of Lego) has risen dramatically since 2009 (in which it was only 5%) to at least 40%. This however is still not enough. We're still a minority.

While I'm sure there ARE insider sources like you describe who would get in trouble for sharing info that LEGO hasn't made public, I think you should also be wary that sometimes hoaxers also request anonymity to keep others from proving they aren't who they say they are. This has been a big issue in the past with "leaks" from people claiming to be designers, store managers, etc. and convincing other fans to spread fake rumors on their behalf. But if you already considered that risk and did what you need to verify that your source is legit, then I'll trust you.

I definitely know a lot of people at LEGO, including designers like @Nabii, DO believe that the percentage of adults in the LEGO fandom has grown since the number obtained and reported in 2009… but 40% still seems higher than most of the estimates I've heard. Then again, it might've been a few years since the last post I saw from a LEGO employee speculating on that matter, so maybe it's now higher than those estimates?

Regardless, it's probably best for us in the long run that LEGO continues to focus mostly on kids, even as more sets and themes start to acknowledge their older buyers. After all, a lot of us became AFOLs in part because we had so many valuable childhood experiences as KFOLs… and if LEGO did begin focusing on our grown-up tastes to the point that we became a majority of their audience, then that could mean fewer people 20 years later who enjoyed LEGO enough as kids to maintain that same enthusiasm into adulthood.

On 10/24/2019 at 6:54 PM, pooda said:

But c'mon! Even the sets that are geared towards children, we still tend to enjoy. So what's the big deal. I mean....yeah! I would like a few changes to my favorite theme - City. But all the same, overall, Lego does an awesome job in making sets that not only attract children, but adults as well.

Sounds like we're on the same page! I definitely feel like one thing that has helped to ensure that even kid-focused sets or themes can still appeal with adults is the number of AFOLs who have become LEGO designers. Even if the themes they work on are mostly aimed at kids, these designers generally have enough insight into the tastes of LEGO collectors and builders of their generation to know what kinds of parts, techniques, or subject matter they typically find exciting. No amount of focus testing or market research aimed our way can really replace the kind of firsthand experience a designer gets from being PART of our communities and sharing our perspectives on such a personal level.

In fact, on some levels, it's not unlike how when creating LEGO City or LEGO Friends, a key step in the process was actually talking with and observing the way kids played with LEGO and other toys in their homes, so that they had an authentic inside look into what those kids sought in a play experience. And the amount of useful insight that can be gotten out of more conventional methods like focus groups, surveys, or sales analysis is a lot less hit-or-miss when designers have those much more extensive and personal forms of background knowledge that they can refer to for context.

On 10/26/2019 at 6:33 PM, Peppermint_M said:

That might be deals for Halloween, a few supermarkets in my area have them on a savings offer instead of any "special" set (Like the seasonal Trick or Treat, or Witch Brickheadz sets). Simple but effective marketing for the season.

It's also worth noting that not all sales are intended for clearance on items that aren't selling at full price. Especially as the winter holidays get closer and people begin to think about holiday gift shopping, it's normal for a lot of retailers to run lots of sales and deals aimed at making sure you buy popular wish list items (like the latest toys, clothes, and video games) from THEM rather than from competing retailers.

With LEGO in general being a perennial holiday favorite, and LEGO Hidden Side being particularly new and cutting-edge in terms of the types of play experience it has to offer, I can imagine it getting a lot of promotional emphasis from retailers, just like various other trendy "tech toys" have in past years.

[Driver Brandon Grumman]

@Aanchir Hmmm...you bring up very accurate points. 

Also another thing I failed to mention. KFOLs grow up to be adults. Some of those KFOLs don't even give up Lego. So they become AFOLs. Considering that we're practically in the age of the grown child....I wouldn't be surprised if its growing. Let's also look at the amount of adult oriented and based themes and sets that have come out recently. Star Wars, Friends (the TV show), Modulars, Speed Champions, Simpsons, etc. 

On another note....looking at recent releases, I guess you can call City and Friends neutral themes that can target both children and young adults like myself. Ironically, my gf is actually a die hard Heartlake City fan. She's got every set from there. Like me with City. 

So here's how I'd mostly put it. 

KFOLs have City and Friends. By the time they become AFOLs, usually they would've evolved to modulars and Speed Champions for buildings and vehicles. 

Edited October 28, 2019 by pooda

[Asajki]

On 10/25/2019 at 5:19 PM, MAB said:

Even when Coast Guard has been and waiting to come back, then chances are there will be something with a boat / ship in between iterations of it. That was my earlier point, that even though sub-themes change within City, the types of vehicles within them remain fairly constant. There might be different colours or insignia, but the vehicles themselves are constant. So even though there are individual sub-themes that are short lived, they don't feel as short lived since the types of sets are repeated so often, almost yearly. This is where City sub-themes are quite different to the old one-year themes.

  

For example, this Volcano set:

 

Change the trans-orange to trans-blue and switch out the minifigures, and it is essentially an Arctic set just with lime green vehicles.

I kinda think that's neat though, some of the recent miners also appear in space and it makes it feel like they are all under one company, just seperate divisions, perhaps they have darker goals then which we see in the sets, why do the arctic explorers want the crystals? Why do the volcano explorers want the similar crystals? Why do the gold miners want gold crystals? Is it surface level orsomething more, we unerstand that Lego city is dictated by a police force, Forest Police, Sky Police, Swamp Police, Space Police! LEGO CITY IS A POLICE STATE, ITS A CONSPIRACY ITS EVIL THE CITY IS DICTATED

All jokes aside, I do like the similar styles that they have 

[Driver Brandon Grumman]

36 minutes ago, Asajki said:

LEGO CITY IS A POLICE STATE, ITS A CONSPIRACY ITS EVIL THE CITY IS DICTATE.

......and you can forget about it ending anytime soon. Police runs City. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by pooda

[White Phoenix of the Crown]

32 minutes ago, Asajki said:

LEGO CITY IS A POLICE STATE, ITS A CONSPIRACY ITS EVIL THE CITY IS DICTATED

Very noticeable.