Item — HN Reader

This move says to me that Lego, like many companies today, doesn’t want to position itself in the market as a mere purveyor of a good or service, but rather as a “lifestyle brand.”

They don’t want customers buying Lego stuff just for the enjoyment it provides, but because they are a “Lego person” and it’s part of their identity. Makes for stronger brand loyalty and promotes brand advocacy.

3 comments

I believe you are correct. Though, these moves often have the opposite effect on me. Especially with the name plastered over every object.

"Lifestyle brands" are an absolutely confounding concept to me... didn't the west spend the 00s with names like "Abercrombie" and "Hollister" plastered on everything before consumers collectively realized being a billboard sucked and they moved onto a few years of simplicity? Now we're going back to that trend, except there is even less relationship between the logo and clothing/decorations being offered?

I always laughed when I saw people wearing “Hollister”, the brand name of my grandpa’s colostomy supplies, which got burned into my retinas as a mildly traumatized neurodiverse 4-yr-old in the early 70s.

Turns out the ostomy supply company has hollister.com whereas for the clothing you have to go to hollisterco.com

So they totally knew about it and called it Hollister anyway. That's funny right there!

It's also the name of a not-very-exciting town in California (Gilroy's less-glamorous neighbor).

Apparently it is “actually” named after a 1920s SoCal lifestyle pioneer they invented. So much for authenticity.

As for Hollister, CA, Wikipedia says:

Trademark conflict with Hollister, California

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times in April 2009, Abercrombie & Fitch has threatened merchants and residents of Hollister, California who want to use the name "Hollister" on clothing. The article quotes David Cupps, general counsel for Abercrombie & Fitch: "If they try, they would get a call and much more."[32]

Also, according to the article: "The controversy over the name heated up in 2006 when Stacey Crummett, chief executive of Hollister-based Rag City Blues, added the word "Hollister" to the label of her vintage bluejeans. In response to her trademark registration application, Abercrombie & Fitch attorneys sent her a letter alleging she was violating the company's trademark and threatening to sue." Crummett subsequently withdrew the application.[33]

"Even students at Hollister's San Benito High School wonder if they are violating Abercrombie & Fitch's trademark by wearing shirts emblazed with the school nickname, the Hollister Haybalers."

"Hollister City Atty. Stephanie Atigh insists that Abercrombie & Fitch cannot sue if locals are simply putting the town name on clothes to identify the geographic location."[32]

Not all brands out massive logos on things - that’s not an inherent part of lifestyle brands.

Maybe, but this isn’t a major market move, it’s just a small number of boutique items which won’t be produced in large numbers.