We’ve Got Heart – Lego Friends
BETTER SOUND 2018 | Category: Audio Branding
Entrant
CORD
Abstract
LEGO Friends is the LEGO group’s 2nd largest brand, and a product range designed for girls. CORD was asked to develop audio branding (music score AND songs) to accompany the LEGO Friends/Disney Channel TV series. Audio branding has been used to connect the music score and songs together within a minimalist, electronic framework.
Project description
Our audio branding process began with an in-depth creative and commercial audit and analysis of the Lego Friend brand’s historic use of music. With recognition and consistency high on the list of priorities, we knew that we needed to develop a comprehensive suite of musical assets that were thematically structured.
We decided to adopt the ‘Leitmotiv’ model and to give each of the female protagonists her own theme. We also developed a brand anthem ‘We’ve Got Heart’, which is now used in all of the opening and closing credits. The song also informed the style of the music moving forwards, and so we have continued to borrow key hooks and melodies for all of the new material. The key audio logo/hook ‘Girls on a mission, Let’s Go!’ has been extracted from this song and is now used as an end frame device.
The show is designed to appeal to 6-11 year olds, so with this in mind we made a decision to break away from traditional pop music, so that all the songs, including the energetic Go-Cart inspired ‘Zoom Zoom Zoom’ were written in an electronic style.
The show itself tackles pertinent issues in a modern world and encourages girls to be determined and to follow their passions and dreams. “What is important about the narrative of the show is that it is not patronizing to its viewers. The characters all have their own looks, passions and hobbies – an attitude that is encouraged throughout the series. Young girls should know that they can be anything they want to be, so the message in LEGO Friends is to, ‘go out and do it!’” explains David Marcus (Managing Director – CORD). “So, when it came to creating the perfect soundtrack for the show, we knew we had to go beyond traditional pop music to target this generation, and to find a female composer that would be able to relate to the brief and inspire young girls to want to get out there, and possibly also make music.”
Whilst pop music forms the basis of the new tracks, the sound is more forward thinking, using minimalist electronic production and mainly synthetic instruments. The tracks have been composed by CORD’s Esther Lane, a unique up and coming artist who has worked closely with LEGO to develop the lyrics as well as the music.
“I’m a big advocate of individuality and following your heart when it comes to doing what you love. This has been the perfect project for me and our clients have been amazing. They know so much about the characters and can tell us in an instant what the girls would be thinking and how they would respond to the music we’ve created. They really know them inside out, so we’ve been in very close contact throughout the process,” comments Esther Lane.
We have amassed over 17million combined views across online channels, making our music some of LEGO’s most engaging content. Our choreographed dance moves have allowed fans to engage at a deeper level, with an array of copycat videos surfacing online, showcasing the influence that the music continues to have on youth culture.
Project video