Turning clichéd gifts into creative keepsakes through the power of play

June 12, 2025 – Dubai, United Arab Emirates: This Father’s Day, the LEGO Group has launched a regionally tailored campaign 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.

Rooted in cultural insight and local data, the campaign aims to reframe 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. 

In response, the LEGO Group is inspiring families to transform classic gifts from mugs to aftershave bottles into playful, brick-built versions, reviving the art of handmade gifting and turning ordinary presents into lasting memories.

The campaign was a collaboration between Publicis Middle East and MSL Middle East, with MSL handling the strategy and insights and earned amplification and PME leading on creative.

An Underrated Occasion, A Reframed Narrative
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.

Against this backdrop, the campaign’s strategy focused on reframing LEGO bricks as a cross-generational bonding tool. Speaking to both time-poor expat mums (often the primary gift buyers) and older kids (seeking more personal, social-media-worthy gifts), the campaign delivered a creative nudge to break tradition and build memories instead.

“Build It With Him”
The creative activation launched just ahead of Father’s Day on June 21, in sync with World Play Day on June 11. Featuring a series of light-hearted, visual reinterpretations of everyday gifts reimagined in LEGO® bricks, the campaign blends humour with sentimentality, inviting families to think beyond the token shirt or mug and instead co-create something together.

By tapping into regional behaviours and emotional truths, the LEGO Group campaign transforms a token holiday into a creative opportunity for connection. “Build It With Him” not only refreshes the Father’s Day conversation in the UAE, but also reinforces the LEGO Group’s role as a brand that champions shared experiences and the enduring value of play across generations.

Campaign Credits
MSL Middle East

  • Mary Smiddy – Business Lead
  • Sophia Boudjemaa – Business Director, Strategy & Insights
  • Natasha George – Associate Business Director
  • Deema Kabrawi – Manager

Publicis Middle East

  • Tuki Ghiassi – Executive Creative Director
  • Pablo Tesio – Associate Creative Director
  • Juan Sebastian Portilla – Associate Creative Director
  • Oussama El Founi – Associate Creative Director
  • Abdulla Samir – Art Director
  • Rimma Krasavina – Senior Art