LEGO Unveils The Insect Collection with ASMR Soundtrack of Nature-Inspired LEGO Clicks

LEGO Unveils The Insect Collection with ASMR Soundtrack of Nature-Inspired LEGO Clicks

(IN BRIEF) The LEGO Group has introduced the LEGO Ideas The Insect Collection, a set originally conceived by LEGO enthusiast José María Pérez Suero. To mark the launch, the company has collaborated with Foley artist Sanaa Kelley to create a unique ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) playlist called “Green Noise.” This playlist uses LEGO clicks and sounds reimagined as the distinct sounds of insects, aiming to provide listeners with a calming experience. The sounds are inspired by the Blue Morpho Butterfly, Hercules Beetle, and Chinese Mantis from the new set. The collection also features intricately designed LEGO insects, with each displayed in its natural habitat. The set is scheduled to be available for LEGO VIPs on September 4, 2023, and for all customers on September 7, 2023.

(PRESS RELEASE) BILLUND, 16-Aug-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — The LEGO Group  unveils the LEGO Ideas The Insect Collection, originally conceived by LEGO fan José María Pérez Suero (@hackiroku24). To celebrate the launch, the LEGO Group has created Green Noise, a new nature-inspired ASMR playlist with LEGO clicks and sounds reimagined as the unique sounds of each insect using Foley techniques.

Created in partnership with award winning and Emmy-nominated Foley artist, Sanaa Kelley, an expert in creating sound effects out of everyday items, Sanaa has recreated each insect’s own unique sounds in nature using the iconic LEGO brick. Showcasing their beauty and shining a new light on insects around the world, the playlist is inspired by the three extraordinary insects from the new set: the Blue Morpho Butterfly, the Hercules Beetle and the Chinese Mantis. Each track is up to 45 minutes long and created entirely from the flutters, clicks and snaps of LEGO bricks and packaging from the new set alongside a variety of Foley techniques.

With the LEGO Play Well 2022 Report revealing nearly 3 in 5 adults (58%) are spending less than one hour a day relaxing, the playlist is designed to help listeners find a moment of zen in their day, making it the perfect audio accompaniment for LEGO building.

The new LEGO Ideas The Insect Collection – the 50th product from the fan-sourced platform – includes each insect on a separate display based on aspects from their natural habitat. The Blue Morpho butterfly sits on a branch in the South American Amazon Rainforest. Next to it lies a buildable flower with a honeybee hovering over it. Move across to Central America afterwards and build the longest beetle in the world, with the male Hercules beetle sitting atop a decaying log. Its wings can be removed, and the shell closed to allow two display options. Finally, perched on a thin branch from an Asian forest, a Chinese Mantis prays on a small seven-spotted ladybug hiding amongst brick flowers.

Talking about his inspiration for the design, José says: “I studied science and fine art and have always been fascinated with the intricate details of the natural world. Also, as a lifelong LEGO fan who has come up with a range of new set ideas before, I find inspiration for new builds through my hobbies, which include photography and nature.”

Talking about developing the set, Federico Begher, Head of LEGO Product Group comments: “When we saw José Maria’s brilliant design, we knew it would be an instant hit with our fans! The intricate design is testament to José’s impressive academic background, and passion for photography and nature. His excellent designs enabled our team of talented designers to really capture the essence of these remarkable creatures, from the colours to the structure and size. Every detail has been carefully crafted in LEGO bricks, resulting in a one-of-a-kind LEGO collection of three insects from around the world in one set. We are thrilled to share this magnificent build with the world and cannot wait to see the joy it brings to fans.”

Taking fans on a journey behind the scenes, a new LEGO film captured at Sanaa’s California-based studios, Reel Foley Sound, shows how the Green Noise playlist was brought to life with the sounds of the LEGO bricks.

Foley artist Sanaa Kelley comments: “I’ve had the most enriching time working with the LEGO Group to create the Green Noise playlist. Our collaboration has felt like a full circle moment as a few years ago I embarked on a course to learn more about insects to debunk my fears and enhance my knowledge of the sounds they make! Now with the LEGO Group I have finally been able to put my studies into practice and bring to life the sounds of the Blue Morpho Butterfly, Hercules Beetles and Chinese Mantis using their corresponding LEGO bricks and packaging. This was a first at my studio and challenged me to be incredibly creative with my approach to Foley.”

The LEGO Green Noise playlist can be streamed via LEGO.com/insects.

The LEGO® Ideas The Insects Collection will be available globally via LEGO Stores and at LEGO.com/insects from 4th September 2023 for LEGO VIPs and 7th September for all at the recommended retail price of $79.99 / €79.99 / £69.99.

Notes To Editors

FURTHER PRODUCT INFO: The LEGO® Ideas The Insect Collection (SKU: 21342)
• Age – 18+
• 1,1111 pieces
• Price: $79.99/ €79.99/ £69.99
• Designed for display, the models measure:
o Blue morpho butterfly and honeybee (18 x 19 x 11.5cm)
o Hercules beetle (14.5 x 15.5 x 11.5cm)
o Chinese mantis and seven-spotted ladybug (17 x 17 x 11.5cm)
• Key functions and features include:
o Take time out to indulge your passion for nature with these three life-size, posable, display models of insects in their natural habitats.
o Capture the shades of blue in the butterfly’s wings and its white dots. The model also includes a buildable honeybee and flower.
o Build the longest beetle in the world, the Hercules beetle, featuring attachable wings and the characteristic horns of the male of this species.
o The detailed, posable model of a female Chinese mantis (a species of praying mantis) is in a buildable habitat also featuring a 7-spotted ladybug.
o Separate building instructions for each model so you can build with others.
o This collectible display model for adults is one in a diverse array of LEGO Ideas sets, each created by a fan designer, voted for by LEGO fans and produced by the LEGO Group

For more news from the LEGO Group, information about our financial performance and responsibility engagement, please visit www.LEGO.com/aboutus.

About the LEGO Ideas platform
LEGO® Ideas offers fans the opportunity to submit their own brick creations with the chance to have their concept brought to life with the help of LEGO master designers and a share of the profits. Find out more at www.ideas.LEGO.com.

About the LEGO Play Well Study 2022
Since the very beginning, our mission has been clear: to give children the chance to shape their own world through the wonder of inventive play and the pride of creation – at home, at school, anywhere. Sixty years on from when the LEGO® brick was patented, and 40 years after we created the first LEGO Minifigure, our belief in every child’s right to play well is as strong as ever.

In commissioning the LEGO Play Well Report, our aim is to help us all better understand what the simple, instinctive act of playing means in 2018: the way it’s evolved, the benefits it brings to the individual and families, the barriers that get in the way and how we can protect it.

About Sanaa Kelley
Sanaa Kelley is a California-based foley artist and founder of Reel Foley Sound with 28 years of industry experience. Her accolades include four Emmy nominations, 20 MSPE Golden Reel nominations for Foley on projects such as Apple TV+’s sports comedy Ted Lasso, AMC’s Emmy- winning series The Walking Dead; Disney +’s The Right Stuff as well as The CW’s The 100. In 2016, Sanaa’s earned a Golden Reel Award as part of the Sound Editing team for her work on the live-action film All the Wilderness.

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, meaning “Play Well”. Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. However, its products are now sold in more than 130 countries worldwide.

For more information, please visit: www.LEGO.com

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