Lego executives tried valiantly to present their latest products on June 2nd amid a din of chirping, croaking and snoring. The toy giant's newest range is part of a collaboration with Pokemon, a Japanese brand that has evolved from video game to multi-media phenomenon. Built-in chips let the creatures train, battle and noisily chat when put near each other.

6月2日，乐高的高管们在一阵啾啾声、呱呱声和呼噜声中，竭力展示了其最新产品。 这家玩具巨头的全新系列是与宝可梦合作的一部分，后者是一个从电子游戏发展成为多媒体现象的日本品牌。 内置芯片使得这些玩具在彼此靠近时能够进行训练、对战并发出嘈杂的“交谈”声。

Pokemon is the latest in a growing line of Lego tie-ups with media brands. Since the success of a Star Wars set in 1999, the Danish firm has sought licences everywhere from gaming (Nintendo) and Hollywood (Harry Potter) to sport (Formula One). Generic pirates and spacemen are increasingly squeezed off store shelves by the likes of Super Mario. Toys based on licensed intellectual property (IP) provide more than half of Lego's $13bn annual revenue, estimates Circana, a research firm.

宝可梦是乐高与媒体品牌日益增多的一系列合作中的最新一员。 自1999年一款《星球大战》套装取得成功以来，这家丹麦公司便从各个领域寻求授权，包括游戏（任天堂）、好莱坞（《哈利·波特》）乃至体育（一级方程式赛车）。 普通的海盗和太空人形象正越来越多地被超级马里奥等角色挤下商店货架。 据研究公司Circana估计，基于授权知识产权的玩具为乐高130亿美元的年收入贡献了超过一半。

The brickmaker is not the only example. Hasbro's Monopoly has versions that license everything from James Bond to Barbie. Funko, which makes the wildly popular Pop! dolls, offers likenesses based on athletes, actors and much else. Its slogan—"Everyone is a fan of something"—sums up the idea. The share of global toy sales based on licensed IP has risen from 25% to 37% in the past seven years, says Frederique Tutt of Circana.

这家积木制造商并非孤例。 孩之宝的《大富翁》有从詹姆斯·邦德到芭比等各种授权版本。 Funko公司生产广受欢迎的Pop！ 玩偶，提供基于运动员、演员等众多形象的产品。 其口号——“每个人都是某件事的粉丝”——很好地概括了这一理念。 Circana的弗雷德里克·塔特表示，过去七年间，基于授权IP的玩具在全球玩具销售中所占的份额已从25%上升至37%。

Lego shows how the strategy can work. Tapping into another brand's fanbase is less risky than investing in a new line of your own. It is also more agile: last year Lego went big on "Jurassic World" sets to coincide with a new movie; this year it will capitalise on Pokemon's 30th anniversary. IP also attracts adults, who might not buy an ordinary Lego castle but could be tempted by a $650 replica of one from "Lord of the Rings". Changing from a kids' company into an all-ages pop-culture brand has helped to nearly double Lego's annual revenue since 2020, to over twice that of Mattel, its nearest rival.

乐高展示了这一策略如何奏效。 借助另一个品牌的粉丝群体，比投资于自己的新产品线风险更低。 这种方式也更为灵活：去年，乐高借新电影上映之机，大力推出《侏罗纪世界》套装；今年，它将利用宝可梦诞生30周年这一契机。 IP也能吸引成年人，他们可能不会购买普通的乐高城堡，但可能会被价值650美元的《指环王》城堡复刻品所吸引。 从一家儿童公司转变为一个面向全年龄段的大众文化品牌，帮助乐高自2020年以来年收入几乎翻了一番，达到其最接近的竞争对手美泰的两倍以上。

Working with partners isn't easy. Pokemon staff made weekly trips to Lego's headquarters in Billund. Twenty-five new types of brick were needed to get details like Pikachu's arms and Jigglypuff's ears right. And Lego has to send licensees a cut of sales—though the generally higher prices of its branded sets suggest it is passing some of the cost on to consumers.

与合作伙伴共事并不容易。 宝可梦的员工每周都要前往乐高位于比隆的总部。 为了精准呈现皮卡丘的胳膊和胖丁的耳朵等细节，需要开发25种新型积木。 而且，乐高必须向授权方分出一部分销售收入——不过其授权套装通常价格更高，这表明它正在将部分成本转嫁给消费者。

Fast-moving online culture also presents challenges. Julia Goldin, Lego's marketing and product chief, says that social media make it easier than ever to spot trends—but harder to know which will endure. Creating a new Lego range takes a good 18 months, longer than the lead-time for firms making card games or plush toys. Lego's take on "KPop Demon Hunters", a surprise blockbuster film last summer, will not be out until later this year.

快速变化的网络文化也带来了挑战。 乐高的市场与产品主管朱莉娅·戈尔丁表示，社交媒体使得发现潮流比以往任何时候都更容易——但要知道哪些潮流能够持续下去则更加困难。 开发一个新的乐高系列需要整整18个月的时间，比制作卡牌游戏或毛绒玩具的公司的准备周期要长得多。 去年夏天，电影《K-pop恶魔猎人》出人意料地成为大片，而乐高对此的响应产品要到今年晚些时候才能面市。

The company emphasises that it still builds its own brands. Botanicals, a newish floral range aimed at adults, will probably be its best-selling line this year. But third-party IP seems to be what its customers crave. On Lego Ideas, a forum run by the company where fans suggest new themes, requests include a "Happy Days" diner and a "Scooby-Doo" haunted house. Time for children—and perhaps adults—to make more space on the toy shelf.

乐高强调，它仍在打造自己的品牌。 Botanicals是一个面向成人的较新的花卉系列，很可能会成为今年最畅销的产品线。 但第三方IP似乎正是其客户所渴望的。 在乐高创意（公司运营的一个供粉丝提出新主题的论坛）上，用户提交的请求包括一个“欢乐时光”餐厅和一个“史酷比”鬼屋。 是时候让孩子们，或许还有大人们，在玩具架上腾出更多空间了。