The LEGO Group partners with National Geographic Kids on campaign to raise awareness of ocean conservation
June 4: The LEGO Group this week released a new LEGO Friends theme “Sea Life Rescue” which includes four sets focussed on life-saving marine missions. To mark the launch, the brand is partnering with National Geographic Kids to develop a campaign designed to inspire children to take action to keep our oceans safe for all animals.
The LEGO Friends sets are inspired by real-life rescue scenarios and are designed to immerse young builders and explorers in aquatic adventures. They are:
Turtles Rescue Mission – jump into a cool amphibious vehicle and rescue stranded baby turtles from the island. Treat the turtles in the beachside clinic before releasing them back into the ocean.
Dolphins Rescue Mission – a submersible craft that will take you to rescue a dolphin caught in a shipwreck.
Lighthouse Rescue Center – do life-saving research in a lab which features a sea lion play area, rest area, office and an observation deck with a lamp that can be lit by pressing the lighthouse roof.
Rescue Mission Boat – waste no time transporting sick animals in this high-powered speedboat that includes a bay with a launching function, a swivelling crane with a stretcher and a lookout position.
Juliane Aufdembrinke, Senior LEGO Designer, shared her inspiration for the theme:“When I was young, dolphins were my favourite animal so this theme is a personal favourite of mine! Children today continue to love dolphins and sea life in general, but are also passionate about protecting ocean life. The Sea Life rescue theme is designed to inspire the marine biologists, engineers and conservationists of tomorrow – in a fun and playful way.
“We are grateful to have the support of National Geographic Kids on the important topic of protecting ocean animals and it was great to collaborate with a real-life submarine pilot Erika Bergman.”
The LEGO Group and National Geographic have combined forces to create a campaign which encourages families to think of daily actions which can make a difference to the environment. It will feature National Geographic explorer and Submarine Pilot Erika Bergman, who introduces children to her work, the value of play, and how important it is to think creatively if we are to solve the challenges facing our oceans.
Erika Bergman, National Geographic Explorer, said: “This campaign is designed to share with children the realities of caring for our fascinating and magical sea life. We want them to understand the challenges facing marine animals and be inspired to come up with new ideas to protect them. The LEGO Friends Sea Life Rescue sets offer a great platform for children to explore caring for sea life in a fun, creative way and the campaign encourages them to take action, including pledging to become official ‘Sea Life Friends’. We know kids of today are hugely committed to protect our planet and wildlife, so it’s exciting to team up with LEGO Friends to connect education, play, inspiration and action.”
The campaign will be featured on LEGO Group and National Geographic Kids platforms. To find out more visit https://www.lego.com/campaigns/sea-life-rescue.
To learn more about the work of National Geographic Kids: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/.
For more info on the LEGO Group’s responsibility efforts: www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/responsibility.
About the new LEGO Friends Sea Life Rescue sets
41376 Turtles Rescue Mission
Inspire animal-lovers to be the hero of the day with LEGO® Friends 41376 Turtles Rescue Mission island. This rescue set includes a cool amphibious vehicle that can sail out to sea to the stranded baby turtles on the island, then drive them back to the beachside clinic. With its examination bed and a medicine area, the clinic lets children express their nurturing side as they nurse the turtles back to strength. This building set for creative kids includes one mini-doll figure, a robot figure, plus four turtle figures.
41378 Dolphins Rescue Mission
Race to rescue a trapped dolphin and find the hidden treasure with LEGO® Friends 41378 Dolphins Rescue Mission. This dolphin rescue set allows kids to act out an underwater LEGO rescue mission as Stephanie dives in her cool submersible craft to free a stricken dolphin from a shipwreck. The shipwreck’s mast is hinged so Stephanie can lift it to free the dolphin with the grabbing arm of her craft. A hidden gem-filled treasure chest adds another dimension to the action, as does the textile pirate’s map which reveals secret information when brushed with water. The set includes two mini-doll figures, plus two dolphin figures for hours of imaginative play.
41380 Lighthouse Rescue Center
Young builders will be totally immersed in adventure play with LEGO® Friends 41380 Lighthouse Rescue Center. This set has a multitude of features, including a lab, sea lion play area, rest area, TV room, office and an observation deck with a lamp that can be lit by pressing the lighthouse roof. Rescued sea lions access the lighthouse clinic using a clever hinged pool that swings through 180 degrees to bring the sea lions into the clinic. Also included is a water scooter for rescuing the sea animals and a mini island where the sea lion is trapped in an abandoned shack, which has a fun button function your child can push to set the sea lion free. There is also a treasure map hidden there—the clever textile reveals its secrets when brushed with water. This lighthouse toy provides a raft of scenarios that allow imaginations to run free and ‘nurturing play’ to come to the fore. This fun set includes two mini-dolls, plus five animal figures.
41381 Rescue Mission Boat
Enjoy endless hours of animal rescue adventures with LEGO® Friends 41381 Rescue Mission Boat. Young explorers will be able to play out a multitude of animal-saving scenarios with this highly equipped boat. There is a speedboat bay with launching function, swivelling crane with a stretcher for transporting sick animals, lookout position and a cockpit area. The deck is removeable to allow access to the cabin, which includes a lab, kitchen and a bedroom complete with toilet. Extending the play further is a separate heart-shaped island where a hidden water-reactive textile map hides the location of the underwater treasure chest. This LEGO boat includes three mini-doll figures, plus a narwhal toy figure and a robot figure.
About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.
The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which mean “Play Well”.
Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. Its products are now sold in more than 140 countries worldwide. For more information: www.LEGO.com
About National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids inspires young adventurers to explore the world through award-winning magazines, books, website, apps, games, toys, television series and events and is the only kids brand with a world-class scientific organization at its core. National Geographic Kids (10 issues per year) and Little Kids (6 issues per year) are photo-driven publications that are available on newsstands or by subscription in print and on tablets.
The award-winning website kids.nationalgeographic.com excites kids about the planet through games, videos, contests, photos, quizzes and blogs about cultures, animals and destinations. National Geographic Kids Books publishes as many as 100 nonfiction titles each year and teaches the youngest readers why the world is a weird, fascinating and fun place. National Geographic Kids Entertainment brings the renowned National Geographic brand to quality animated and live-action, entertainment-driven television, home video and online programming.
