Social Rocket
LEGO has released its new Christmas campaign, "The LEGO Holiday Workshop", on November 5, 2026. The 74-second film combines Daft Punk's "One More Time" with figures from different fan worlds, including Doctor Doom, Thor and E.T. The real marketing idea, however, goes beyond the film: seven standalone 15-second clips are meant to serve different interests, while activities in LEGO stores extend the journey from screen to building in person.
One Main Film, Many Ways to Reach the Audience
At its heart is a fast-paced journey through an imaginary LEGO workshop. There, superheroes meet fantasy characters, vehicles meet musical motifs, and familiar pop culture meets LEGO's own worlds. The film was directed by Michael Gracey, and the creative lead sat with LEGO's in-house Our LEGO Agency.
Daft Punk's song is more than background music. It ties the most varied scenes together into a recognisable campaign. LEGO had already announced the collaboration with the French duo in October. The Christmas video therefore builds on a fan moment created earlier, rather than explaining the musical partnership only within the ad itself.
The seven short films take a different approach. They address interests such as adventure, gaming, nature, new stories and vehicles. Instead of one message played identically on every platform, each audience gets its own entry point into the same brand world. This fits Reels, Shorts and other fast video environments far better than a simply cut-down TV spot.
Familiar Characters Grab Attention – Own Products Provide the Connection
Doctor Doom, Thor, E.T. and other characters give the film immediately recognisable anchors. LEGO draws on the pulling power of other people's stories, but the common element remains building. This allows fans to enter the campaign through one character and then discover other LEGO worlds.
This combination of entertainment IP and a reason to buy also appears outside the toy market: Dunkin' ties its Marvel appearance to fan stores and merchandise. For LEGO, the breadth of its range is the distinctive lever. The campaign doesn't just need to sell a single licensed product, but has to bring different product families together under one Christmas theme.
From Feed to Workshop
According to LEGO, in-store experiences are also part of the campaign, including Pick a Brick, Build a Mini and Minifigure Factory, as well as designed windows at selected flagship stores. This gives the film a physical extension. In store, passive ad recall becomes action: visitors put figures together or build their own.
There is also the #BuildToGive initiative, which links the spirit of gift-giving with a participatory activity. The holiday film is therefore selling not just finished sets, but the activity behind them.
A survey of 11.001 parents in ten countries, including Germany, commissioned by LEGO, provides the relevant motive: 89 percent of the surveyed families wish for more shared playtime. This explains why the campaign focuses on shared interests rather than gift lists alone.
The Lesson for Christmas Campaigns
LEGO treats the large film production as the starting point of a content system: an emotional main film, smaller audience-specific creatives, fan collaborations and an in-store experience. Walmart with the Muppets and John Lewis with the social rollout of its Christmas film follow similar paths. For social teams, the production planning is what matters most: even during the shoot, thought is given to how many different stories and formats the campaign can later carry.
Sources: LEGO Group, official campaign announcement from the 5 of November 2026 · LEGO Group, Daft Punk partnership from October 2026 · Little Black Book, campaign background