• by Larissa Faw , August 4, 2015

Children have long played urban planners by constructing their own Lego villages. Now, Singapore is seeking their talents to predict its future. 

To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Singapore's Independence (SG50), Lego Singapore and its creative agency Iris are introducing the "Rebuild Your Memories" initiative that invited six-year-old children to use Legos to build what they felt would represent Singapore at its 100 year mark.  Their efforts have been transformed into digital content that is being distributed across social media, including YouTube. The results provide some interesting insights in how kids see the future.  For instance, parks replace skyscrapers, homes replace offices, and families are brought closer together. 

The “Rebuild” Film can be seen here.  

"It was fascinating to see what their priorities were for Singapore,” said Dan Luo, Country Manager, Lego Singapore. “Sometimes we might lose what is most important in the pursuit of development – spending time with loved ones, and taking care of our communities. That is what togetherness is all about, and that is what celebrating SG50 is all about.”

Lego served as a perfect conduit to convey messaging about urban planning since the company plays a significant role in Singapore's popular culture and isn't viewed simply as a toy brand, says Ed Cheong, Creative Director, Iris. "During the development process, we kept coming back to a few simple questions,” said Cheong. “Will people care? Will people share? And will it really make a difference?"

"That's how we approached SG50,” Cheong added. “ It has been the buzzword in Singapore as brand after brand pitched in to mark Singapore's 50th year of independence. The idea was not to create another definitive statement on how far the global city has come. Instead we looked ahead and questioned if an even sleeker metropolis set in the future would naturally make a good home."

The project also was designed to emphasize "Kampung Spirit," known as the spirit of mutual consideration, which is engrained in Singapore culture. "The amazing surprise was, when we gave the next generation the freedom to rebuild what we built as a 'future metropolis' - they showed us what real progress would look like, and what a real home looks like.  It was a powerful experience for us and the client," says Cheong. 

As part of this initiative, Lego is introducing limited-edition Lego SG50 Big Minifigures sets that come with a special birthday message and unique serial number. A separate sweepstakes is awarding fifty individuals with these limited-edition kits.

Iris first started working with Lego Singapore earlier this year.