2012 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

As it turns out, the smallest things can in fact make the biggest difference. 600 parents and kids participated in the challenge over a 2-day period. Furthermore, 500 people turned up to watch the collective effort. Playnation footfall increased by 20% over the Lego weekend; rekindling the bond between parents and their children.

Creative Execution

Traditionally, Lego was an indoor activity enjoyed by one or more kids. So we decided to build a Legos competition in public instead – and ask the parents to join in! We invited families to participate in a unique competition to create Lego sculptures. The participants were asked to create a model under the theme ‘Build the Change’. The winning models were ingenious representations of life in the future - all built through collaboration. The Lego’s competition was able to inspire creativity and imagination amongst families and give them an opportunity to build their dreams. More importantly, it gave them a reason to bond together in the real world. To make the experience even more significant, all the proceeds and the models went to Noor Dubai, a children’s charity.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Long working hours and a hectic pace of life have led many UAE parents to spend less and less time with their children. Consequently, more kids today are spending their childhoods in front of a TV screen. As a leading family leisure destination, Playnation was feeling the pinch of this phenomenon and needed to attract more families. Research advocated the warm embrace of parenthood over any gadget that could provide temporary enjoyment. But what could disrupt the day-to-day cycle and bring parents and their children closer together? We found the answer in the old proverb, “It’s the small things that count.” And when it comes to small things, only one timeless building block has wooed generations: Lego. Technologies have come and gone but Legos’ ability to entertain & inspire families has not diminished. Our idea is was to create a live Lego experience at Playnation. .