🏆 LEGO's F1 psychology hack

DEEP DIVE

The LEGO Trophy Activation: 6 Principles of Influence (and How You Can Steal Them)

Yet another Lego example and thought piece. Here we go.

Instead of repeating the same reasons why they did well, I want to explain the actual meta-narrative behind it.

The LEGO F1 trophies generated the same social buzz as the race itself. There were so many storylines to focus on, so it’s even more bloody impressive that LEGO were able to capture some of that.

Every feeling, every bit of attention, can be engineered using six core principles of influence.

In 1984, Robert Cialdini published "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion," identifying six psychological shortcuts that people use when making decisions.

Decision-making is effortful, so we rely on mental shortcuts to guide our choices, especially when it comes to purchasing and consumption.

Understanding these six principles means you can engineer the outcomes you want.

Here's how LEGO did it, and how you can steal their playbook for your next partnership activation.

*You don’t have to apply every single one of these. Ultimately, ask yourself what you are doing to get people to care.

1) Scarcity

People want what they can't have. The less available something is, the more desirable it becomes.

What LEGO Did: Only three LEGO trophies were made, one for each podium finisher. They were custom-built, never to be replicated, and only available at this specific Grand Prix.

How You Can Use It:

• Create limited-edition experiences or rewards in your partnerships

• Make access to certain benefits, products, or content exclusive by time, quantity, or achievement

• Scarcity drives urgency and desire

Example: Offer "one weekend only" activations, or exclusive rewards for the first 50 loyalty members to engage with a new campaign.

2) Commitment and Consistency

People like to be consistent with their identity and self-image. Once someone acts in a certain way, they're more likely to continue acting that way in the future.

What LEGO Did: LEGO's partnership with F1 is built on a multi-year, consistent presence, activating at multiple races and always delivering playful, creative experiences. Fans now expect LEGO to show up in a fun, on-brand way.

How You Can Use It:

• Show up consistently in your partnerships.

• Build rituals or signature moves that fans and partners can count on.

• Consistency builds trust and ongoing engagement.

Example: Make your partnership activation an annual tradition, or always tie it to a signature product or value. Hilton has a long-standing 20-year partnership. They have kept it fresh and interesting each year.

3) Reciprocity

People feel obligated to return favors. When someone gives you something first, you naturally want to give something back.

What LEGO Did: LEGO gave fans a "gift" in the form of a unique, playful trophy, sparking delight and conversation. They also provided behind-the-scenes content and interactive fan experiences at the track.

How You Can Use It:

• Give first: Offer fans or partners something valuable. exclusive content, access, or perks. Before asking for engagement, sign-ups, or advocacy.

• Reciprocity builds goodwill and encourages participation.

• What can you do to be ingrained in the culture and community of people? When it’s easy to get width (impressions and reach). What can you do to get depth (connection, conversations, curiosity)

Example: Release free behind-the-scenes content, or surprise and delight your most active fans with special rewards.

4) Social Proof (Consensus)

People look to others to guide their decisions.

We're more likely to do something if we see that others like us are doing it too.

What LEGO Did: The LEGO trophies became the most talked-about element of the weekend, shared by key drivers, media, and fans across social channels. The buzz itself became proof of the activation's relevance.

How You Can Use It:

• Seed your activations with influencers, partners, and fans.

• Make it easy for them to share and amplify their stories as social proof that your partnership is worth caring about.

Example: Feature real user-generated content in your post-activation wrap-ups, or invite influencers to co-create experiences. Alignment is important here. We can explore this topic in more detail in a later issue.

5) Liking (Similarity)

People are more easily influenced by those they like.

We tend to like people who are similar to us, who complement us, and who cooperate with us.

What LEGO Did: LEGO's brand is universally beloved and nostalgic. By tapping into childhood memories and the shared joy of building, they created instant likability and emotional resonance with a wide audience.

How You Can Use It:

• Design activations that feel relatable and tap into shared passions or memories

• Make your brand "likeable" by showing up with warmth, playfulness, or a sense of fun

• Attach what you do to something similar and familiar, but with your own creative spin.

Example: Use familiar cultural touchstones or fan-favourite elements in your partnership activations.

6) Authority

People defer to experts and credible sources. We're more likely to follow someone who demonstrates expertise, knowledge, or legitimate authority in their field.

What LEGO Did: LEGO is the authority in creative play and building. Their expertise and reputation lent credibility to the activation, and the trophies themselves became a symbol of both F1 and LEGO excellence.

How You Can Use It:

• Leverage your brand's expertise, history, or unique access in your partnerships

• Show why you are the "official" or most trusted partner for this activation

Example: Highlight your credentials, legacy, or exclusive rights in all partnership communications.

Steal This Framework

Before your next partnership activation, ask:

• Are we making something scarce and desirable?

• Are we showing up consistently and building rituals?

• What value are we giving before we ask for engagement?

• How are we making it easy for others to share and validate our activation?

• Are we tapping into what our audience already likes and relates to?

• Are we demonstrating our authority and expertise?

Apply these principles, and you'll move from "just another sponsor" to a brand that fans, partners, and stakeholders actually care about.