In marketing its new reality competition series, Fox has converted the exterior of its West LA lot and launched an augmented reality game.
Ahead of the Feb. 5 premiere of Fox’s newest reality competition series, Lego Masters, the iconic building bricks are taking over the network’s studio lot and kicking off an augmented reality experience.
Starting Monday and running through Feb. 9 — overlapping with National Lego Day on Tuesday — the exterior of the West Los Angeles lot and its “Fox Studios” gate letters have been converted to a Lego look and feature a Fox logo entirely built out of blue Legos outside the Pico Boulevard gates. The studio stage walls facing the street also highlight some of the network’s programming, including billboards for The Masked Singer, Deputy and 911: Lone Star designed out of Legos. The takeover also extends to a number of bus stations throughout the city.
Along the studio revamp, the Lego Masters marketing push also includes the launch of Lego Masters‘ Augmented Reality Builder, an AR experience that gives users digital tools to build their own mini Lego models on their mobile devices, debuting along with the national holiday. The mini-models can be shared on social media and feature themed challenges aligning with those on the show, including food, movie genres, The Great Outdoors and Star Wars.
“The beauty of working with an iconic brand like Lego is that it is beloved and identifiable to people of all ages,” Fox marketing exec vp Darren Schillace tells The Hollywood Reporter. “By transforming the facade of Fox’s studio gate into one big Lego build, we engage passersby here in Los Angeles in an unmissable way. We even alerted the local tour companies that drive by the lot to explain why we’re covered in Lego.”
“The AR Builder gives fans across the country new and interactive tools to play with Lego bricks in an entirely new dimension through weekly challenges,” he said. “Ultimately, we wanted to convey that, together with its lead-in The Masked Singer, Lego Masters rounds out a night of fun, and playful family-friendly television.”
Lego Masters, hosted by Lego Movie star Will Arnett and produced by Endemol Shine North America and Brad Pitt’s Plan B, sees 12 teams of two go head-to-head in ambitious brick-building challenges. In each episode, one pair will progress to the next round until the finale, during which the three top teams will face off for the Lego trophy. Mayim Bialik, Terry Crews, Nicole Byer and Lego Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller will appear as special guests throughout the season.
Endemol Shine North America’s Sharon Levy, DJ Nurre and Michael Heyerman are executive producing, alongside Arnett, Tuesday’s Child’s Karen Smith and Steph Harris, The Lego Group’s Jill Wilfert and Robert May. Endemol Shine has previously helmed UK and Australian versions of Lego Masters, and extends its relationship with Fox following The Masked Singer and Masterchef.