this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2026
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Was noticing how Lego stuff in a store was almost entirely sets based on popular media (such as Harry Potter or Minecraft). I can't remember too well if Lego was always like that, but I think to a degree it was at least because I remember getting some Star Wars sets as a kid.
Anyway, it got me thinking about the way capitalism chases whatever is the big thing and tries to siphon every bit of value out of it that it possibly can. It fits very well with the AI bubble. Also fits with how even a thing like Black Lives Matter could get co-opted and turned into money-making. Capitalism is pretty shameless about that. If people will buy it, somebody will try to produce it and sell it. And sometimes, if people won't buy it, they'll do marketing campaigns to try to convince people that they should. But the path of least resistance is to chase the coattails of something already popular. You just make something derivative enough that it's legal, or make some merchandising deal for a popular IP, and sell away.
Lego wasn't always focused on major IPs, however the company began teetering on the verge of bankruptcy in the 80s and 90s so money ran dry to create novel sets, which only exacerbated the cycle of decline. The only factor that prevented a complete collapse was the partnership with Star Wars which single-handedly saved the company, and pushed Lego to adopt an IP centered approach.
The company did have several independent IP such as Chima, Ninjago, Atlantis, and Bionicle, but the company was aquired by private equity firms in the early 2010 and those IP were tossed in the trash as children were no longer seen as an effective target market. Now, the company primarily targets individuals in the 21-35 age bracket, and seeing as that group enjoys Star Wars, Harry Potter, and so on, the company goes all in on those IP.
Lego used to have its own IP. They had original sci-fi space stuff, some medieval knights and bandits, pirate stuff, some mildly offensive indigenous islanders, cowboys stuff, modern era lego city, and modern space stuff, Underwater sci-fi, Egyptian stuff.
I think star wars was the beginning of their decent into pop culture.
I grew up on BIONICLE. Coolest shit ever.