Interest in the classic building blocks of Lego shot up during the pandemic but, unlike many companies that saw only a temporary bump amid widespread home isolations, the Danish toymaker continues to see booming sales of its brick-by-brick building kits.
The company has been teasing fresh products set for release in 2023, which include a slate of new building kits and some reissues of past favorites.
According to the company’s financial reporting, Lego sales were up 17% in the first half of 2022, bringing in some $3.5 billion in revenue.
CEO Niels Christiansen touted Lego’s diverse selection of toys and their appeal across generations for the continued sales surge.
“It is the broadest one we ever had,” Christiansen said of Lego’s current portfolio, per CNBC. “It’s preschool, it’s kids, it’s girls and boys, it’s teens, it’s adults — it’s actually across the board that the portfolio is super strong.”
In addition to top-selling “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter” models, Lego has seen strong performance in its homegrown Lego Technic and Lego City.
“I think that we make sure we tap into different passion points,” Christiansen said. “You can buy a Formula One car or a Ferrari, or you can have a Duplo set that fits in your bathtub.”
Here are a few highlights for Lego releases in the coming year:
Lego Botanical Collection gets two new kits
Last week, Lego announced two new additions to its popular Botanical kits aimed at adult builders. The 939-piece Wildflower Bouquet and 812-piece Dried Flower Centerpiece will become available online and in stores on Feb. 1 for $59.99.
“We know the joy that plants can bring to people and our growing Lego Botanical Collection has been created with that in mind,” said Jamie Berard, senior design manager at the Lego Group in a press release. “Plants are a great way to bring people together, and show our appreciation for one another.”
Fine art, one brick at a time
Japanese ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai is a highly revered artist that produced work in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and is best known for a woodblock print titled “The Great Wave off Kanagawa.”
Now, Lego is offering a new 1,810-piece set of the artwork, featuring layers and elements of different shapes to portray the lines and depth of Hokusai’s original piece.
“We’re thrilled that fans of art and Japanese culture will get the chance to immerse themselves into the relaxing project of recreating the iconic Great Wave, captured in a Lego Art set,” Annemette Baaskjær Nielsen, designer at the Lego Group, said in a press release.
The Great Wave Lego set became available on Jan. 1 and is priced at $99.99.
Celebrating Disney’s 100th anniversary
Lego has been partnering with the Walt Disney Co. for over 20 years and said it’s set to release a number of new build kits in 2023 in honor of the company’s 100th anniversary celebration this year.
One of the first new items is a 501-piece Brickheadz set, featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Disney’s first character), Mickey Mouse (the first-ever animated character), Snow White (the star of Disney’s first feature film), and Tinker Bell, the first Disneyland mascot.
“Since we launched our first Lego Duplo Winnie the Pooh range in 1999, Lego Disney has inspired joyful play for Disney and Lego fans of all ages,” Casper Rafn Voigt, head of product for Lego Disney, said in a press statement. “From voyages across high seas and valiant quests, to the mesmerizing magic of Disney princess castles, Lego Disney has enchanted families around the world by bringing fantasy to life and inspiring new adventures using the Lego brick.”
Na-na-na-na-na-na, Batman!
Lego has been partnering with movie franchises for years and some of its most popular build kits have come from the world of big screen entertainment.
Now (or soon, anyway) you can get your very own version of the high-tech motorcycle featured in the latest installment of the “Batman” franchise starring Robert Pattinson, the Batman.
The 641-piece kit of the Dark Knight’s superbike features a working suspension, handlebar steering, a moving engine connected to the back wheel with a chain drive and a flip-down kickstand for display, according to Gizmodo.
The Batcycle kit will sell for $49.99 when it becomes available on March 1, according to Lego’s website.