How storytelling, a brain tumour and buildable, evil-fighting robots helped save LEGO from bankruptcy

In the late 90s, LEGO was struggling and in $800m of debt. The brick-building toy legend was unable to keep up with the evolving wants of 21st-century children. Gameboys and Playstations were in. LEGO was out.

One idea saved them: Bionicle.

Building a narrative...

The LEGO design and innovation team realised kids needed a narrative to latch onto, an ongoing story in which they could immerse themselves. Current LEGO sets didn't do enough to engage their imagination, and there was nothing to sustain interest after they'd finished building.

LEGO hired writers to create a fantasy universe and narrative thrust that "flowed like a river" (company executive Mads Nipper's words). The team created BIONICLE, where good and evil forces fought for "masks of power" on a tropical island, with every character / element of the story collectable and purchasable in the real world.

This involved a full spectrum of marketing and storytelling, including a website, books, TV shows, t-shirts, Nike trainers, toothbrushes, films, video games and more. It also involved a 50-page Style Guide, to ensure every element of Bionicle's forever-evolving strategy and storyline matched LEGO's high standards and values.

Testing times...

Bionicle's story and products were always tested with kids before their release. Lead writer Greg Farshtey would log onto forums and exchange hundreds of emails with fans to ensure their ideas were on point. This tactic helped to rebuild bridges with the consumers they had lost (or were losing) in recent history.

"A lot of what I wrote for the books and website was in response to what kids told me they wanted to see," Farshtey said. "If kids were saying they didn't understand a certain part of a book, I knew we had a problem that needed to be fixed in the next book."

The triangle...

Christian Faber, the Art Director at the time: "We wanted more communication in the product and more product in the communication. That meant the marketing group needed to be involved at the very start of product development.

"We had a kind of triangle, where the marketing, the story and the product had to move ahead together. None of those could be the spearhead. Each needed to support and inspire the other."

Hang on, I'm sure you mentioned something about a brain tumour...

The ongoing narrative may have been motivated by those test groups with young fans, but the original concept for BIONICLE came when Faber was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He "had the thought that when I took those injections, I was sending a little group of soldiers into my body, fighting on my behalf to rebuild my system. Then it all just came together."

This is why Bionicle boxes are shaped like pill capsules.

Show me the money....

BIONICLE was a huge success, bringing in over $160 million in sales in its first year on the market, while being declared "Most Innovative Toy of the Year" by the Toy Association.

By 2003, BIONICLE accounted for 25% of LEGO's total revenue, and 100% of its profits.

What can you learn from the story of BIONICLE?

1. People buy into stories much more than products. The best way to retain interest and build brand loyalty is to get your customers engaged and bought into a narrative.
2. Listen to your customers. More often than not, they'll tell you exactly what they want.
3. Consistency is key when developing a new product and introducing a fresh narrative.
4. Storytelling and marketing are not afterthoughts. If you involve them in every step of the design process, your product and audience will benefit.