Marius, UK & Ireland head of marketing at Lego, explains why the company has made a move into augmented reality.

Launching in August, Hidden Side is Lego’s most adventurous voyage to date, combining virtual and physical worlds through the use of augmented reality (AR). Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to Marius Lang, UK & Ireland head of marketing, about what this means for the company.

“Play is evolving, and as a key player in the toy category we are always looking for ways to innovate and offer exciting new play experiences,” explains Marius, when asked why Lego Hidden Side has been developed. “There is a bridge between physical and digital play, and while adults may see these as very different things, today’s kids view them both as interlinked and fluid. As a result, Lego has looked very closely at how it can offer an experience that gives kids the ability to move seamlessly between both the physical and digital play platforms.”

A company with a rich heritage in physical play, Lego is keen to emphasise that its latest launch won’t affect the production of non-AR building kits.

“The Lego brick is just as fun and relevant in 2019 as it was in 1958 and has inspired generations of builders,” says Marius. “We are committed to furthering our innovation and development, and concepts like Hidden Side are just one way in which we are doing this. There was huge excitement last year when we brought Harry Potter back, but not a single product had anything to do with the digital space. Nevertheless, the range has continued to be a huge success. We’re looking at different things to make sure we cater to all fans year after year; the use of augmented reality is just one ingredient in this, and it won’t take anything away from our classic, successful recipe.”

To read the full interview, which was published in the July issue of Toy World, click here.