Imagine (visual TOW#12)

Lego is becoming an increasingly popular and globally recognized children product in modern society. People, children and parent alike, find it fascinating how the tiny squared shape pieces can produce such an abundance of varieties, ranging from sky-reaching towers to baby toy trucks. The Lego Company, from the instant they released their product, knew the essence of their product’s success lies in the infinite possibilities it can produce, and more importantly, the consumers’ imaginations.

Targeting primarily children but also adults, the Lego Company decides to produce an advertisement emphasizing the magic of creativity to appeal to even more potential customers. The advertisement looks simple, and it is designed to be so. A yellow piece of Lego standing conspicuously in a light green background, the first impression of the audience centers immediately on the eye-catching Lego; yet, the picture does not look intrusive or blunt. The Lego Company ingeniously chose the light green background to give both the children and adult a subtle hint of lightness, of calmness, of, at the most basic level of human interpretation, peace. “Lego is appropriately fun” is the essence of the message. The Yellow Lego is the center of attention and an attraction to many as the product is already so popular, and the calming light-green background is the brilliant supplement asserting to little children and their parents that the fun of Lego is peaceful and friendly.

   The emphasis and the money-making contrast in the advertisement, however, are not between the background and the focus, but between the focus and the imagination. First glance, a yellow Lego stands out in a light-green background. Second glance and most people will see the shadow of the yellow Lego is casting a shape like a dinosaur. Upon scrutiny, the audience will soon realize that the shape of the yellow Lego is like that of a dinosaur. Of course, the Lego Company does not endorse dinosaurs, nor does it believe dinosaurs will earn them more customers. The shadow is meant as a symbolism to imagination, and the shape of the Lego is meant to be seen as the infinite possibilities a Lego set can produce. The Lego Company knows their product’s success depends on its appeal to imagination, so they explicitly showed their audience, who will likely become their customers, of the possibilities awaiting them.

“To infinity and beyond”