Correction: Well, I’m a little embarrassed. RadioInsight correctely pointed out the Beatles’ “Ed Sullivan Show” set I attributed to LEGO is actually made by Mattel’s MEGA Bloks division, their version of the colored bricks.
While the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” kit is made by LEGO, this new one is not. Error and all, the post still makes the same point about the power of media, pop culture, and toys that have multigenerational appeal.
And finally, reader Ivory all chided me for using the plural form of LEGO – something that is not done. So now, you know everything. – FJ
One of my fondest memories of raising children was walking into their playroom and seeing the floor covered with those familiar, colorful plastic bricks known as Legos. (Of course, stepping on one while walking barefoot in the house was a whole different sensation.)
For more years than I can count, Legos were the go-to toy – let’s call it a pastime – because it was a way for them to explore their creativity, and a great all-family activity. Fact is, I may have enjoyed building stuff with Legos as much as/if not more than they did.
And we built everything out of Legos – a radio station, our house – you name it, we took on the project, like delighted contractors ready to try our hands and imaginations on a new challenge. Of course, there were the packaged kits that somehow made their way into our home. The pirate ship and the knights’ castle were big favorites in our house. But it’s when Lego started signing deals with major brands that I started realizing the brilliance of their strategy.
There were beloved kits for amazing creations like the “Millennium Falcon” from the first Star Wars movie. And incredible moments and icons from Disney, Marvel, The Simpsons, and Harry Potter. Not only do they extend the brand, but they keep it both current and nostalgic at the same time – no easy task.
Of all the toys we managed to save after moving out of the family home several years ago, the giant bin of Legos is still in our new basement, ready for those future kids (you’d call them grandchildren) to come along, waiting to get their hands on our “cast of thousands” of Legos.
These amazing colorful bricks were invented in Denmark. It all started as a toy company 98 years ago by a carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen. Legos – Danish for “play well” – were originally made of wood, but went the plastic route just after WWII.
Legos has expanded beyond kids’ toys, now movies, board games, video games, and of course, theme parks. And yes, we made the visit to LegoLand not long after it opened in the U.S. in 1999.
One of the more impressive brand extensions of Lego has been in the “adult section.” Better put, Lego actually kicked off a campaign in 2020 called “LEGO for Adults.” According to Brick Fanatics, that division is keeping pace with the traditional unit aimed at kids.
These adult kits are more intricate – and more expensive. You can build a Legos version of a Porsche 911, the Ghostbusters ambulance (pictured), a boutique hotel, the NASA Space Shuttle, and even the Back to the Future DeLorean.
And then there’s the music connection. Back in 2016, a FOJ (Friend of Jacobs) brought something amazing to my attention – a “Yellow Submarine” made of Legos bricks.
A little research indicated the idea to Beatle-ize Legos actually came from a fan – of both the Danish bricks and the Fab Four. It was submitted via another brilliant idea – Legos’ crowdsourced Ideas page which you can still connect with here. (Why doesn’t every radio station have one of these?)
Once it was turned over to two Legos designers who shared the same love for both brands, the “Yellow Submarine” team was born.
The kit was released in November of that year (just in time for the holidays), and yes, I blogged about it (“All You Need Is Lego.”)
In another indication of Legos’ brilliant marketing, the company produced a eye-catching, fun :90 video of the concept – an animated journey featuring the Lego version of the Beatles (but no Blue Meanies?) that captures the spirit of this collaborative innovation:
And let’s now nostalgically fast-forward to now (how’s that for an oxymoron?).
Whether your favorite Classic Rock station informed you or not, we are in the midst of a 60-year celebration of the Beatles visiting America’s shores and making their television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show on two consecutive Sunday nights.
Each of those broadcasts was the Super Bowl of their day, captivating an entire country and turbocharging what became known as Beatlemania and the British Invasion.
The first Sunday show drew 73 million+ viewers (a record at that time). Putting into numbers you can relate to, that’s a 45.3 rating and a 60 share. Imagine the rate card for the Sullivan show.
If you’re too young to know about Ed Sullivan, he hosted the most popular television variety show on CBS-TV during that era. While he had no particular talent of his own, much less on-screen charisma, Ed had an eye for pop culture.
He booked all sorts of novelty acts. And while corny, they became overnight sensations, spawning water cooler talk back in the day (when there were a lot of water coolers). But it was Ed’s ability to pick musical hits and up-and-coming artists that made the show “must see TV” back in the day.
In addition to John, Paul, George, and Ringo, the Stones, Elvis Presley, the Supremes, CCR, the Beach Boys, Janis Joplin, and the Doors also were introduced to American fans on The Ed Sullivan Show.
And of course, yours truly was caught up in the Beatlemania frenzy. My Bar Mitzvah – a Jewish boy’s ritual celebration when turning 13 – fell right at the same time of these historic Beatles’ TV debuts.
And one of the perks of “becoming a man” was being awarded naming rights to a small ice cream bar set up to serve me and my teenage friends. You can see my choice in the embarrassing click-bait photo I’ve shared here. Making sure the adult orchestra my parents chose could play “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There” was on my to-do list.
Watching those magical Beatles performances in real time on those two Sunday nights in the family rec room is part of the memories. One of my gifts was a tape recorder with 3-inch reels. And yes, pointing the cheap microphone at the tinny speaker on our television was the way I captured the moment (as well as my parents whining about how long their hair was).
And here we are, six decades later, and Legos is doing it again.
As I discussed here in a post last week, nostalgia in pop culture is a powerful force. When it is married to something current, its impact becomes infinitely stronger. Think about last year’s Barbie phenomenon, for example.
This time, it’s a kit commemorating the Sullivan shows, and in the process, introducing a new generation of Gen Alphas to perhaps the most popular and influential rock band of all time.
While there are some toys and related characters adults ignore when the kids pull them out, this will not be one of them. Once again, the geniuses at Legos understand the generational crosscurrents that allow for both collaborative play and music discovery. After all, you wouldn’t think about helping your child (or grandchild) reconstruct this pop cultural moment in time without a Beatles soundtrack playing in the background.
And for a mere $80, you’ll be able to do just that. Legos has made it affordable for birthdays and other celebrations for your kids, grandkids, nieces, or nephews. (You can get 10% off by signing up for the email club on the Beatles’ official store site.)
The kit is comprised of 681 Lego blocks, the four Beatles, and their interchangeable instruments. You’ll notice the USB cable in the photo above. There are three settings for the set’s lights (but apparently no connection to a Beatles soundtrack/playlist).
The brilliance of all of this – aside from the obvious revenue generated (the kit is sold out and has a limit of four per customer) – is the unbelievable exposure the Beatles get to their next generation of little Beatlemaniacs.
Here’s a short video accompanying the kit:
Every time someone knowingly tells me how the Beatles are passé or appeal to older demos, or that Classic Rock is sounding a little long in the tooth these days, I point them to “currents” like this, effectively bridging several generations.
The only missing link? There is no Legos figurine of Ed Sullivan (or the weird dude who balanced all those spinning plates on sticks). But maybe that will be part of another Legos kit for another day.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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I’d pay big bucks for a Lego version of Fred’s Beatle Bar. I had Ronnie’s Hot Dog Cart at mine. Hebrew National of course.
So would I. Meantime, I come I wasn’t invited to your Bar Mitzvah?
I used to have a WKRP studio Lego set photo as my screensaver on my work computer.
At least I can still watch this: https://youtu.be/HnFtRpgsVcg?si=U9OGvoVJLD4jjRQo
Great stuff, Bob!
https://numode.net/
Lego Neve recording console, Lego MD441 microphone, Lego DJ turntables, Lego boombox … unfortunately out of stock, but cool none the less.
https://www.costco.ca/lego-ideas-fender-stratocaster—21329.product.100846340.html
Or get a Lego Stratocaster at Costco!
Had no idea! And all this time, I thought the coolest thing about Costco was the fee samples and the $1.50 hot dogs.
Two nights later, the Beatles played their first full concert in the U.S., here in D.C.
https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/local-news/washington-dc/the-beatles-played-in-dc-for-the-first-time-60-years-ago
Those were amazing concerts. Not sure we’re ever going to see that level of frenzy and fanatical fandom again.
I understand you enjoy Lego, but NEVER EVER do you refer to Lego in plural form as Legos. Calling them, what one assumes is the correct way to refer to them in plurality, makes true die-hards like myself cringe. Lego building blocks Lego Blocks, or Lego Sets are all acceptable. Other than that, keep writing.
Noted!
I still have my big 3D “B A R R Y” sign from MY bar mitzvah in Astoria, Queens. At the time I wanted the wmca good guys to attend, but alas it didn’t happen! As for LEGO, they might consider a set spotlighting TOPO GIGIO!
Hilarious!
But wait- saw this online:
“ Topo Gigio LEGO Mosaic. Size: 81×81 cm. 10201 1×1 LEGO Bricks in 35 official LEGO colors. 1689 Black bricks. 1541 Dark Orange bricks.”
Gotta have it!