Prediction: LEGO Taylor Swift will be a future LEGO Ideas set
September 5, 2023
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LEGO Ideas has announced the Second 2023 LEGO Review with 49 product ideas going into the running to become a future LEGO Ideas set after achieving 10,000 votes.
Looking at the 49 product ideas, there is one clear and resounding theme – Taylor Swift-inspired with 5 submissions in this round alone.
While there are plenty of great submissions in this round (I think WORKING LEGO BICYCLE by SleepyCow, and TROJAN HORSE by Daytona have a good shot of passing), I’m making a prediction that LEGO will greenlight a Taylor Swift set through LEGO Ideas.
I already made this prediction previously, but I’m going to expand on this slightly here. Also, sidenote: I’m a big Taylor Swift fan, and yes, I am willing this to happen.
Taylor Swift is a commercial force to be reckoned with
In case you’re unaware, Taylor Swift is undeniably THE biggest music star of the current generation, if not of all time. Her worldwide Eras Tour has grossed over $1 billion in ticket sales, and she’s also on track to set box office records with her Eras Tour concert film.
LEGO (like everyone else in the toy industry) is encountering headwinds due to the state of the global economy, and a Taylor Swift LEGO set would be the shot in the arm the company needs to inject millions of dollars of sales into its coffers.
So many entries equals momentum
- TAYLOR SWIFT “LOVER HOUSE” by AndrewsBrickz
- TAYLOR SWIFT’S LOVER HOUSE by donnydings & Icemannn999
- TAYLOR SWIFT LOVER HOUSE by Water Leaper
- TAYLOR SWIFT: LOVER HOUSE by RC1317
- TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR by donnydings
- TAYLOR SWIFT – LOVER HOUSE by Lucy33 (First 2023 LEGO Review)
- LOVER HOUSE by FrillyBadger084 (not approved)
Momentum is clearly behind a Taylor Swift Ideas set, judging by 5 submissions in this round, one in the previous First 2023 Review round, and also the earliest project by FrillyBadger084 which didn’t make the cut.
If I’m on the LEGO Ideas team, I’d be taking a close look at the success of these projects, and analysing the properties of who’s voting for these projects, and where they’re located to determine commercial demand.
If there’s a lot of first time LEGO Ideas accounts signing up, this could be a strong signal that a Taylor Swift set could be transformational and introduce LEGO to swathes of new fans.
Kind of like what 21339 BTS Dynamite achieved in getting KPOP and BTS Army fans to buy a LEGO set.
Universal Music Group Partnership and LEGO’s Pop Culture Strategy
LEGO and Universal Music struck a highly publicised partnership in April 2020, which led to the unfortunate Vidiyo theme, which was swiftly retired after flopping due to a problematic app and overall experience.
Universal is also Taylor Swift’s record label, so LEGO could easily leverage this existing partnership to negotiate and license her likeness for a set.
In its quest to expand the brand beyond traditional building blocks and the AFOL audience, LEGO has also been defiant in its pursuit of relevancy through pop culture.
See also their latest ad with Ed Sheeran pretending to be a LEGO Store employee. By all counts, this was incredibly well-received and a huge success, so I can definitely see LEGO being encouraged by the results.
Upcoming slate of LEGO Ideas sets has a noticeable lack of entertainment and pop culture
If you look at the most updated list of upcoming LEGO Ideas set, there’s a noticeable lack of Pop Culture and Entertainment sets, especially aimed at younger Gen Z and Millennial audiences.
- Red London Telephone Box – in development
- The Nightmare Before Christmas – in development
- Tribute to Galileo Galilei (GWP) – in development
- The Orient Express, a Legendary Train – in development
- Polaroid OneStep SX-70 – in development
- Dungeons and Dragons – in development
- Your Family Tree – in development
- Jaws – in development
- Cat – in development
- Reading, Reading, and Reading (GWP) – in development
- Disney Magic – in development
In fact.. I’d daresay that many of the upcoming licensed sets like the Orient Express, Jaws, Dungeons and Dragons and Polaroid are really aimed at older fans who may feel nostalgic for these IPs.
There’s a HUGE Gen-Z/Millennial and even female-focused Ideas set…. which may indicate that the LEGO Ideas team have already earmarked Taylor Swift a slot, and it’s ultimately come down to a question of when not if we get a Taylor Swift set.
2024 seems like a really good year to launch a set as the Eras Tour goes global and wraps up, so this might be a great memento for fans who want a brick-built memento of the record-breaking tour.
LEGO likes money
And last but not least, LEGO as a for-profit company really likes money, and a LEGO Taylor Swift set would make a ridiculous amounts of money, as well as introduce the brand to massive swaths of new fans, many of whom belong in Millennial or Gen Z cohorts.
Heck, even older LEGO fans with young daughters who are massive Taylor Swift fans would be in LEGO’s crosshairs.
The only thing I think could derail this of course, is from Taylor Swift’s camp, who may not feel like a LEGO set might be the most appropriate partnership for the pop star’s likeness, and want to be associated with a toy company.
Naturally for a star of her caliber, she is wildly protective of who she partners with, but with LEGO having a squeaky clean reputation and is a leader in the empowerment of young girls, it might not be a wildest dream.
That or LEGO can’t afford her license fee!
Be sure to check out all 49 Submissions that qualified for the Second 2023 LEGO Review, with results coming in early 2024. Remember, we could get a Taylor Swift set greenlit as early as the next few weeks, as there’s already an active submission from the First 2023 LEGO Review, with results coming very soon.
What do you think? Can you see the possibility of a Taylor Swift LEGO Ideas set?
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