Lego is more than just plastic building blocks鈥攁nd an 糖心视频 alum is one of those behind building the brand.
The Lego brand is built around the themes of creativity, problem-solving and the importance of play. And the company continues to break the mold by exploring new projects and ideas. This fall, Lego launched its Paris Experience, announced a partnership with Nike and made its first foray into a new film genre鈥攖he biopic. And one of the company’s key players in building the brand is Alero Akuya ’05, Lego鈥檚 vice president of global brand development.
Akuya earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, focusing on children’s media and showcasing her leadership skills as class president and an Orientation leader. After graduating, she went on to build up her career, from聽a senior brand director at Nike up to her current role at Lego, a position she鈥檚 held since 2021.
Pharrell Williams Tells His Story in Lego
The company got into Lego-themed movies in 2014 with The Lego Movie. The new film project, , is a collaboration with Pharrell Williams to tell the multi-Grammy Award-winning artist鈥檚 life story in brick form. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on September 10 and released in theaters on October 11. In addition to Williams, the film portrays鈥攁nd features the voices of鈥攁rtists such as Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z.
Akuya recently : “Inspired by Pharrell鈥檚 passion for space, together with The Lego Group, we have embarked on a mission to inspire creativity and curiosity through Lego play.”
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Lego Superpower Studios
Continuing to expand the brand鈥檚 universal appeal, Lego鈥檚 new collaborated with several artists to create the first Lego Superpower Studios, which opened its doors to guests in Paris in September.
In a story in , “It鈥檚 probably the most experiential brand in the world鈥攕o how do you demonstrate that at scale?” She added, “There鈥檚 always a wow factor with Lego. It鈥檚 about creative problem-solving.”
Lego and Nike Join Forces
As announced in a news release on the in August 2024, Lego and Nike will begin partnering next year.
In the release, Akuya said, “By combining the creativity of Lego play with the energy and passion of sport, we want to inspire new ways for kids to play and be creative. We are excited to partner with Nike, Inc., on this journey and help reimagine how creative play and sport can unite. Together, we will create unique experiences that will engage and excite kids around the world, inspiring them to explore their imaginations.鈥�
Building a Community Around Play
鈥淭he best part about the job is that, at the end of the day, we鈥檙e talking about play,鈥� . 鈥淎nd we get to play all day long if we so choose鈥攊t鈥檚 really welcome in the workplace. We have Lego bricks in every conference room, table or desk. It鈥檚 encouraged in meetings that we make playful games and incorporate that into our dialogues, or we think playfully about the ideas that we鈥檙e developing. For me, it鈥檚 the playfulness of the work environment and the playfulness of my colleagues that鈥檚 really enjoyable.鈥�
The Media Takes Notice
Many media outlets are reporting on Lego’s moves. Here are a few: