Category
Tech
Automated Upkeep
Trend cluster
Category
Playful
Imitation
Adults turn to modern toy recreations to merge play with media awareness.
3.3
Trend score
Trend
What is the Playful Imitation trend?
Playful Imitation: With societal demands for maturity and sophistication continuously placed upon adults, the need for more youthful, carefree activities becomes essential for those seeking a link to their childhood. Offering a playful outlet for adult consumers, pop culture recreations that utilize infamous children’s toys like LEGO allow individuals to blend youthful tendencies with the mature desire to stay culturally connected.
Trend themes
Themes within the Playful Imitation trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Reimagining Popular Culture with LEGO
LEGO recreations of pop culture and media phenomena, such as famous video games and TV shows, offer a fun way for individuals to connect to their childhood alongside their mature appreciation of contemporary popular culture.
02
Celebrity Selfie Recreations
Recreating popular culture phenomena, like Ellen DeGeneres' famous Oscar selfie, provide a postmodern, ironic tribute to these events and their cultural value.
03
Crossover Popular Culture with Playful Aesthetic
The playful imitation of famous children's toys like LEGO allows individuals to merge their media awareness with their desire for youthful, carefree activities.
Industry implications
What the Playful Imitation trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Toy Industry
Companies can capitalize on the emerging trend of LEGO recreations by creating toy models specifically for adult fans who enjoy the media they are based upon and seek a lighthearted outlet that allows them to connect with their childhood.
For
Entertainment Industry
Using LEGO to create playful recreations of popular media franchises can expose consumers to a new, fun twist on the franchise and increase brand awareness, loyalty and nostalgia.
For
Art and Culture Industry
Interacting and mounting exhibits that feature playful LEGO recreations of pop culture icons can inspire conversation, debate and creativity among art lovers and creators who enjoy engaging in playful, lighthearted cultural critiques.
Trend signals
Trend signals for Playful Imitation
Trend score 3.3 out of 10, from popularity 51%, activity 41%, freshness 8%.
Popularity51%
Activity41%
Freshness8%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X (not a primary audience)
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Evidence
Examples of the Playful Imitation trend
6 featured examples from Jan 16 to Mar 16, 2014CategoryPop Culture
Inflated Oscars Selfie Recreations
This Artist Turned Ellen's Oscar Selfie into Balloon Art
Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrating unconventional materials and techniques into traditional art forms to create unique and eye-catching pieces.
CategoryLife-Stages
LEGO Sitcom Recreations
This Series Re-Imagines the Seinfeld Cast as LEGO Pieces
The toy and game industry can capitalize on creating licensed LEGO sets based on popular culture, especially those appealing to older demographics.
CategoryLife-Stages
LEGO TV Show Sets
This LEGO Big Bang Theory Set Reimagines the Geeky Sitcom in Toy Bricks
Creating LEGO sets based on popular TV shows can drive sales and revenue for the toy manufacturing industry, as fans of these shows seek to collect and build these themed sets.
CategoryPop Culture
LEGO-Remade Comercials
The LEGO Ad Break Parodies Traditional British TV Commercials
Opportunity for advertising agencies to create unique and attention-grabbing campaigns using LEGO and stop motion animation.
CategoryPop Culture
Scary LEGO Movie Scenes
This LEGO Recreation Restages the Alien Chestburster Scene
The popularity of fan-made LEGO recreations of movie scenes opens up disruptive innovation opportunities for film studios to collaborate with toy companies to create official LEGO…
CategoryPop Culture
LEGO Zombie Gamer Tributes
This LEGO Last of Us Video is Zombie-Crushing Fun
The gaming industry can capitalize on the trend of LEGO gaming parodies by partnering with LEGO to create official collaborations and merchandise.
