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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Legos Thinking Pink

Marla Paul Chicago Tribune

LEGOS, the one-time unisex and equal opportunity toy, has recently metamorphosed into pink LEGOS for Her.

Now while their brothers are snapping together the futuristic Ice Planet 2002’s Deep Freeze Defender, girls can construct the pastel Belville Pretty Wishes Playhouse, Love ‘N’ Lullabies nursery set, Pretty Playland and Prize Pony stables.

What’s the deal? Doesn’t LEGO Systems believe girls have the stuff to assemble the more complex toys?

It certainly does. The problem was girls didn’t want to.

Company research showed they weren’t playing with the traditional Ninety percent of the LEGO Systems sales were to boys.

“Clearly we weren’t reaching the girls,” says John Dion, company spokesman.

More research revealed that in play, “boys tend to be very actionadventure oriented,” Dion says. “Girls tend to be more relationship and communication oriented.

“For boys, the construction is the good part of the play. For girls. the construction is seen as a means to an end, the end being the role play.”

Thus Belville LEGOS were introduced with an emphasis on the home and playground and more lifelike figures to “allow for more realistic role play.”

The company hopes girls will be attracted to Belville then move on to try LEGOS’ other 200-plus sets.

“There is no difference between the ability of girls and boys,” Dion says.

The young female jury is still out. Sales figures will be tallied later this month.