Following the tragic killing of George Floyd, iconic toymaker LEGO temporarily pulled marketing ads for dozens of LEGO building sets that include emergency vehicles, police officers and criminals.
According to The Toy Book, LEGO sent an email to its marketers requesting that they remove product listings for over 30 LEGO sets, figurines and accessories Tuesday afternoon. These sets included the LEGO city police station, fire station, police dog unit, patrol car and the police highway arrest, among many others.
The toy company released a statement on Wednesday to give context to its decision in light of national protests and promised it will work to “ensure that we are clearer about our intentions.”
“We requested that our affiliate partners refrain from posting promotional LEGO content as part of our decision to respect #BlackOutTuesday and pause posting content on our social media channels in response to the tragic events in the US. We regret any misunderstanding and will ensure that we are clearer about our intentions in the future,” a LEGO spokesperson said in a statement to The Toy Book.
Earlier on Wednesday, the company’s official Twitter account stated that it is taking a stand with the Black community against racism and inequality and will be donating $4 million to organizations dedicated to supporting Black children.
— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) June 3, 2020
LEGO’s allyship has inspired many Twitter users to consider buying more Legos.
brb, buying more legos.
— JerryRigEverything (@ZacksJerryRig) June 3, 2020
I forgive you for all the legos I've stepped on.
— Sonja Shio (@SonjaShio) June 3, 2020
GAT DAMN I KNEW YOU WERE MY FAVORITE TOY GROWING UP FOR A REASON
— Kellen Goff #BlackLivesMatter (@kellengoff) June 3, 2020
Think you dropped this Fam. pic.twitter.com/jU5uGTVW1V
— ???? Caramell Sundoffe (@CaraioTheCaraio) June 3, 2020
Some LEGO fans hope the company will use their toys to uplift prominent Black folks and to educate American youth on Black history.
Hey, @LEGO_Group and @LEGOIdeas, it’d be pretty rad if you created some sets to represent Black History and some minifigs to represent influential POC through the decades; activists, inventors, authors, et al. Go-to names are okay, but think beyond what is taught in schools.
— Amanda Petree (@Amanda_Petree) June 3, 2020
Any chance you would do a minifig collection of important and influential black people?
— Filmance (@walea23) June 3, 2020
On Monday, the LEGO store on New York's Fifth Avenue was one of many businesses looted as protesters marched for justice for victims of police brutality and accountability for the officers who commit these crimes against civilians.
