“Kids, play with LEGO rather than the iPad!” Good news: now you can do both! The new LEGO FUSION playset combines physical and virtual reality.
And who better to announce this digital evolution than someone who has long since digitised his own craft?
After working as a testimonial with my iPad magic for Rovio (“Angry Birds”), among others, LEGO came up with the idea of using my iPad magic for its own communication.
And so a collaboration that just about every child in the world (and quite a few adults) would envy begins with an invitation to LEGO headquarters.
At check-in, I’m asked whether I’d prefer a window or an aisle seat. When I board the small plane, I realise my seat is both.
The airport – which, incidentally, was originally built on LEGO’s initiative – is very small, and LEGOLAND is just a few minutes away by taxi. Billund has only around 6,000 inhabitants, and at first you can hardly believe that a global company is based here.
At the entrance to my hotel, a giant dragon, an impressive pirate ship and two small, life-size monkeys made of LEGO bricks are waiting for me. Clutching my iPad, I feel a child’s excitement.
The next morning, the meeting starts with a special tour of the museum – it’s wonderful how much time they take to introduce me to LEGO’s history. Interesting, for example, that LEGO (derived from the Danish “leg godt”, meaning “play well”) was originally founded to make wooden toys.
The real work begins afterwards: over several weeks I exchange ideas with the LEGO team and show them new drafts on my iPad until the final sequence is set and the magic can begin in a selected LEGO store.
How do the children react when real LEGO bricks trickle into the picture, fall back out zoomed up to full size and a plastic firefighter comes to life? Find out on LEGO’s official YouTube channel.
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