Life-sized McLaren LEGO replica
British automaker McLaren is making its presence known at the Goodwood Festival of Speed June 29 to July 2 by inviting attendees to build a McLaren, but with a twist.
Expanding on its existing relationship with toy brick maker Lego, McLaren is transporting a life-sized version of its 720S to the festival. However, the Lego supercar will arrive incomplete and festival-goers will be able to help assemble it throughout the event at McLaren's stand.
"At an event like Goodwood, it can be challenging for auto brands to make their mark and stand out among the competition," said Taylor Rains, managing partner at Flugel Consulting, Charleston, SC. "With a number of companies using the venue to showcase new models, McLaren needed to develop a unique strategy for the unveiling of their 720s.
"Partnering with Lego on an installation piece to debut at Goodwood turns the unveiling into a destination event, garnering awareness for the new model amid a sea of other automakers," he said. "The strategy has the added benefit of touting the care and craftsmanship borne into the 720s.
"The detail work that has gone into the creation of the lego model will likely resonate among visitors and inform their perception of the actual car as a detailed piece of art in and of itself."
Mr. Rains is not affiliated with McLaren but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Driving experiences
The Goodwood Festival is an annual hill climb that takes place in West Sussex, England. Throughout the festival, a series of attractions, stands and events take place.
The McLaren 720S supercar
McLaren is celebrating with the build of its latest Lego masterpiece that depicts its supercar in a life-sized Lego form. The special build is to promote the new 720S and will likely create a special bond and memory with visitors.
The Lego 720S will be comprised of 267,300 Lego bricks. Originally assembled by six artists over more than 2,000 hours, the replica will weigh 3,200 pounds.
Artists from the Speed Champions Lego team created the design and instructions that come with the new “product.”
McLaren's Lego 720S will be as much like its model as possible.
The automaker is teasing the design on social media with posts such as a cryptic photo on Twitter showing only the hood of the Lego supercar with a caption reading, “A very special Lego #McLaren 720S is headed to #GoodwoodFOS this year. All will be revealed over the next fews...”
Featured in a bright orange hue, the Lego supercar will also be available in a miniature size for purchase.
The life-sized replica is an expansion on the existing relationship that McLaren already has with Lego. British automaker McLaren original celebrated the people behind its 720S model in Lego form in April of this year.
Lego and automakers
Creating an accessible way to own the newly unveiled vehicle, the brand has launched a Lego version of the car, which comes boxed with the figure of a car designer.
Automakers frequently turn to toys to drum up interest from younger consumers as well as enthusiasts who may not have the funds to buy the life-size vehicle (see more).
It is not uncommon for an automaker to partner with Lego since it offers a fun and interesting experience.
For instance, British automaker Land Rover revealed the capabilities of its then-new Discovery model on top of a Guinness World Record-breaking Lego structure in the United Kingdom.
Land Rover launched the Discovery 27 years ago and has an owner network of more than 1.2 million consumers to date. The automaker positioned its revamped, fifth generation Discovery, a seven-seat SUV, as a model for the digital age due to the inclusion of innovative technologies for safety, comfort and performance (see more).
"As a result, brands are turning more frequently to these types of creative partnerships," he said. "What used to be deemed stunt public relations - rarely used among luxury brands - is now much more readily adopted as a part of a mainstream strategy."