Lego pauses marketing of police sets, amid protests
Earlier this week, Lego sent a letter to affiliates requesting a wide range of kits be removed from all sites and marketing. The list featured a number of different kits involving police minifigs (yes, including Donut Shop Opening"), along with the White House.
There's been some murky information surrounding the extent of Lego's move, but the company was quick to explain that none of the aforementioned kits have actually been canceled. All are still available for sale through the company's website, along with those Lego stores that are still open amid the global pandemic.
- LEGO (@LEGO_Group) June 3, 2020
A spokesperson added that the advertising and social sharing for the sets has been paused, as the U.S. and other international cities protest racial inequality and police brutality in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. The company told TechCrunch:
We have not removed any products from sale or stopped marketing any products. On Tuesday we paused sharing social media content on our channels. We informed our Affiliate Program members about this and suggested they do the same.
The move went into effect on June 2 - Blackout Tuesday, as it came to be known in music and technology circles. The spokesperson went on to tell TechCrunch that marketing of the aforementioned products is set to resume within the next few days."
We've seen incorrect reports saying we've removed some LEGO sets from sale. To be clear, that is not the case and reports otherwise are false. Our intention was to temporarily pause digital advertising in response to events in the US. We hope this clears things up.
- LEGO (@LEGO_Group) June 4, 2020
On Wednesday, the Danish toymaker took to Twitter to note solidarity against racism, adding that it will donate $4 million to unspecified nonprofits dedicated to supporting black children and educating all children about racial equality."