The LEGO Group have just announced LEGO Icons, a brand new umbrella theme that serves to tie all adult-focused LEGO sets under one theme.
Update: The LEGO Icons theme and branding is now live across LEGO’s online store!
If you remember, some time in 2020, LEGO begun to phase out the iconic Creator Expert theme name, in favour of “LEGO for Adults” or “LEGO 18+”, which is also when they started rolling out the now ubiquitous black box design.
Update:
As you can see below, sets like Optimus Prime and the Back to the Future Time Machine have now been updated and sit within the LEGO Icons portfolio.
Say hello to the new LEGO Icons logo, which you’ll start seeing from 2HY 2022 (second half of 2022, which begins in June) – across LEGO’s website, e-retail partners and more.
Here’s the official statement from LEGO:
From June 1st, 2022, we will be uniting many of our adult focused LEGO® sets under the name LEGO® Icons to help our adult consumers easily to find new, immersive builds or models that link to their interests and passions, particularly when shopping or browsing online. The name LEGO Icons will span all of our sets designed for older builders that are not already part of an existing LEGO theme such as LEGO® Technic, LEGO® Ideas or LEGO® Architecture.
Update: made a mistake with the wording, and removed the incorrect graphic.
For example, with the LEGO Icons theme, you can now find and group products targeted at adults easily on LEGO’s online store, as well as 3rd party retailers like Amazon.
You should start seeing the new LEGO Icons branding online from 1 June 2022 on e-commerce platforms including LEGO.com, before the logo comes online on set packaging from 1 January 2023.
Looking at some Australian retailers like Toyworld and Target, you can already see the name being applied to sets, and there’s even dedicated pages for LEGO Icons sets.
Overall, I like the LEGO Icons theme. I wasn’t a fan of “LEGO for Adults” or even “18+” as it was so hard to roll off the tongue, and obviously 18+ has adult connotations to it which makes it much better. Icons is also less “age-discriminatory”, which also signals that teens and even kids will also be welcome to play with LEGO Icons sets.
While I’ll be sad to see Creator Expert go for good, given the significance and nostalgia behind it, I’m glad that it got u all the way here.
What do you think of the new LEGO Icons branding? Is it an improvement over LEGO for Adults/18+?
They can name it Lego Sh!tsta!ns and would still buy the Dolorean and Optimus Prime.
Me build
Horrible. What the hell does icon related to grown ups?
Is this a lost in translation?
I buy lots of these and the name do nothing for me.
Did they even do marketing research?
Probably because most if not all of the adult oriented building sets are Iconic like the Optimus Prime set I ordered. It works, and it’s much better than it was previously.
It’s just a less clunky way to refer to sets for adults that aren’t Technic, Architecture, or LEGO Ideas.
Despite the iconic Creator Expert branding, I think it’s slightly more welcoming, as there isn’t the notion that it’s an “expert” level build, which may put off potential new adult fans.
As a marketer, this makes a lot more sense to me.
I guess anything would be better than Adults/ 18+ .
(I’ve even heard stories about clerks being cautious to sell the sets to minors, which must have been an overseen side effect from Lego’ side.)
That’s hilarious about not selling to minors.
Maybe they took my April Fool’s joke too seriously
This is another horrible move from lego. The Lego Creator/ Lego Creator Expert was much better with a better logo and box designs. Horrible new name and still with the ugly black box.
Yeah, I’ll miss the Creator Expert brand because it’s so nostalgic to me.
Icons seems a good idea from a marketing point of view as there must be younger Lego fans building Creator Expert and Adult 18+ sets. I wait to see how searching on the website will be achieved, as like many we are so used to searching and browsing by Themes.
Yeah, without the “expert” tag, it’s also meant to be more welcoming, even to new adult builders, which LEGO are clearly targeting.
The new Icons page is now up, and it’s quite a good selection of sets to browse.
I too will my the Creator Expert name. Definitely better than a Lego for Adults or 18+ but I’m not so sure I want the themes to change. Maybe I’m nostalgic, make I’m to old for change…I don’t know. Just hope the keep it with a Lego Icons moving forward.
It’s definitely here to stay, and yes, a big change from LEGO for Adults or 18+
I am pretty new at the Lego addiction lol. So love your updates. Don’t see anything wrong with Icons.
Haha welcome, and hope you’re enjoying it so far! Remember to go slow at the start of your journey because it’s a long one!
Icons is probably a better name than Adults / 18+ (which sounds unsafe) or Creator Expert (which might scare off newcomers). I do wonder if Icons is a fitting enough name to cover everything in the repertoire. E.g. are the Modular Buildings icons? Are the botanical sets icons? Having said that, I can’t think of a better name myself.
Yes, in this case, Modulars will fall under Icons – the latest ones, Police Station and Boutique Hotel have already transitioned over to Icons branding online.
Basically, rule of thumb is that any black box that isn’t Star Wars, Architecture, Ideas or Technic is Icons.
And so the wheel turns….
Maybe “Scotty” from Lego Marketing was shown the error of his ways for not engaging a large enough focus group.
Not Scotty.
Rollo Tomassi.
Find him and you find all of Lego’s marketing SNAFUs.
Scotty From Marketing is what people called the former Australian PM.
Not Scotty! Just go and build a Bulldozer and get out of our lives