Lego Halts Digital Ads For Police Playsets In Wake of George Floyd Protests
The building block company halted “all digital marketing of U.S. products that could be perceived as insensitive at this time.”
Lego has paused the digital marketing of all its products, including police-themed playsets, as nationwide protests against police brutality continue to rage.
Trade publication Toy Book first obtained an email from Lego Group that requested the removal of U.S. listings and features for a police station, fire station, police dog unit, patrol car and other building block products that include representations of police officers, firefighters, and criminals. Listings for Lego’s automotive-inspired Lamborghini Sian, Ducati Panigale V4 R and 1970 Dodge Charger replicas were unaffected.
A Lego spokesperson told Fortune that the company had stopped “all digital marketing” of U.S. products, “including content that could be perceived as insensitive at this time.” The spokesperson added that reports of the removal of toy sets from stores and the Lego website were “false.” Lego will resume marketing next week.
“Generations of children have loved playing with our Lego police and firefighter sets, which can often be found in our Lego City line and is a constant in our collection,” the spokesperson said. “These were available last week and will always be available to our fans.”
Lego has joined major brands like Nike, Apple, Amazon, Supreme, Mercedes-Benz and Facebook in donating millions to combat racial injustice.
“We stand with the black community against racism and inequality,” Lego said, noting that the company is donating $4 million to organizations “dedicated to supporting black children and educating all children about racial equality.”
For more on Lego sets, check out the brand’s first Ducati model here.
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