One significant development in the naming of LEGO themes happened back in the year 2020. That was when the brand officially retired the “Creator Expert” offshoot of LEGO Creator. The company reasoned that the naming potentially scared off potential LEGO newbies. As part of the reorganization LEGO began using the Age 18+ classification for sets formerly under Creator Expert designation. You might notice though that we still tended to mention the name in our reports. The LEGO.com Shop continued using Creator Expert in their online listings after all. But starting next month, Creator Expert will finally have a new moniker – enter LEGO Icons.
According to Brick Fanatics, the former LEGO Creator Expert line will now become LEGO Icons effective June 1. The new designation will also blanket encompass specific set subthemes that originally popped up under Creator Expert. If you recall the Botanical Collection and Modular Buildings that LEGO.com lists as Creator Expert sets, they’ll become Icons sets. That upcoming LEGO Optimus Prime (10302) will thus be known as a LEGO Icons set upon launch. Icons itself will slot under the wider “LEGO for Adults” classification of 18+ sets introduced in 2021.
LEGO’s statement on the reveal of the Icons theme is to help “adult consumers”. They note that 18+ builders tend to go for sets that either reflect their interests/passions or be deeply immersive. That being said, apparently upcoming sets will not carry the mark in product packaging until next year. We at The Brick Show might bet that the next LEGO modular-building set in 2023 will debut the Icons mark. For the moment, let’s appreciate the nifty branding as featured in the banner image at top.
This smells of an effort by someone (ie a dept) to justify their existence by creating problems. I don’t buy this excuse that the branding name of LEGO EXPERT was driving away newbies. After being in the corporate world for 3+ decades and being involved with several mid to large-size companies I’ve seen my fair share of persons/departments solving non-existing problems in order to justify their continued existence. Or at the least, their budget and that’s exactly what this looks like. If this re-branding does not result in increased sales they’ll use that as an excuse to try again. If sales do increase regardless of why they’ll use that as justification for why they’re needed.
Marketing/branding is essential to a company like LEGO but this notion that LEGO Icons will somehow result in more/better sales than LEGO Expert is reaching. Perhaps the new look will be better received not because of the name change but because of how that is presented but only time will tell.