LEGO knows what dads like. And it’s not really the gifts they’ve been given several times before – wallets, shirts and mugs. So this Father’s Day, the LEGO Group is encouraging families in the UAE to Build It With Him a creative call to action that reinvents Father’s Day gifting traditions through the joy of LEGO play.
While Father’s Day is officially recognised in the UAE, it remains under-celebrated, with Mother’s Day holding more cultural weight, in the region. Yet conversations with expat fathers across the UAE revealed a desire for more meaningful engagement, with many describing the day as a chance to be present, unplugged, and playful with their children.
The campaign is built on cultural insight and local data, reframing Father’s Day not as a moment of grand gestures, but as an opportunity for shared connection. The insight? For UAE dads, the most meaningful gifts aren’t bought they’re built.
A commissioned YouGov survey revealed that 75% of dads in the UAE have received the same gift multiple times, with shirts, wallets and mugs topping the list. Despite this, many fathers say what they truly value are simple shared moments, building something together, crafting with their kids, or enjoying uninterrupted time.
Build It With Him, a collaboration between Publicis Middle East and MSL Middle East, transforms classic gifts into brick-built versions, reviving the art of handmade gifting and turning ordinary presents into lasting memories. MSL handled the strategy and insights and earned amplification and PME led on creative. It targeted both time-poor expat mums (often the primary gift buyers) and older kids (seeking more personal, social-media-worthy gifts and launched just ahead of Father’s Day on June 21, in sync with World Play Day on June 11. The campaign’s series of light-hearted, visual reinterpretations of everyday gifts reimagined in LEGO bricks, blends humour with sentimentality, inviting families to think beyond the token shirt or mug and instead co-create something together.
Build It With Him intends not only to refresh the Father’s Day conversation in the UAE, but also to reinforce the LEGO Group’s role as a brand that champions shared experiences and the enduring value of play across generations.
Credits
PR Agency: MSL Middle East
Business Lead: Mary Smiddy
Business Director, Strategy & Insights: Sophia Boudjemaa
Associate Business Director: Natasha George
Manager: Deema Kabrawi
Creative Agency: Publicis Middle East
Executive Creative Director: Deema Kabrawi
Associate Creative Directors: Pablo Tesio, Juan Sebastian Portilla & Oussama Founi
Oussama Founi – Associate Creative Director
Art Director: • Abdullah Samir
Senior Art: Rimma Krasavina
Motion Designer: Louis Borniche
