San Diego Comic-Con has always been the ultimate stage for pop culture. This year, the LEGO Group set out to create something unprecedented: not just a booth, but a meta-experience that reimagined Comic-Con through the LEGO lens. The idea was simple yet bold: build a “Con within the Con.” Every touchpoint delivered on that vision—an experience authentically Comic-Con and distinctly LEGO.
Reimagining Comic-Con as IP
The innovation began with how we engaged with the IP. Rather than relying only on franchise tie-ins, we treated Comic-Con itself as IP. Partnering with Comic-Con International, we received permission to reinterpret their most sacred icon: the Comic-Con eye logo. Reimagined as a LEGO Minifigure eye, it became a 16-foot beacon over the booth—flanked by oversized LEGO comic covers celebrating genres in classic comic art styles. Even booth uniforms nodded to Comic-Con merch, ensuring every detail merged LEGO DNA with Comic-Con culture. No other brand had ever been invited to partner with Comic-Con in this way. By doing so, LEGO didn’t just participate—they became part of the con’s identity.
The Heart: A Brick-Built Comic-Con
At the center stood a 250-square-foot LEGO diorama of Comic-Con. Built from more than 200,000 bricks and 8,000 minifigures, it recreated the Convention Center, Gaslamp Quarter, and cosplaying crowds. Hidden throughout were hundreds of Easter eggs: Marvel’s Doctor Doom reveal, the 501st Legion, LEGO’s first wooden duck, even a tiny San Diego LEGO Con booth with its own micro-diorama. Fans spent hours exploring it and still uncovered new stories. One builder even proposed to his fiancée within the model. This wasn’t a display—it was Comic-Con culture, rebuilt brick by brick.
Co-Creating Comic-Con
Innovation meant inviting fans to shape the story. Inspired by Comic-Con’s DIY vendor community, we gave attendees the chance to design their own 10x10 LEGO booths. Creations were added daily, transforming the model into an evolving community build. Builders earned collectible LEGO pop-badges themed to IPs like Ninjago, Wicked, Batman, and One Piece—making every day unique.
A Layered World of Play
The innovation stretched beyond the diorama. San Diego LEGO Con became a connected ecosystem of discovery:
- Side Quest Scavenger Hunt: A gamified journey with retro pixel graphics and daily IP challenges. Fans hunted minifigures, recreated poses, snapped photos with cosplayers, and won prizes. One first-time attendee said Side Quest gave her the confidence to stay and fully experience Comic-Con.
- Life-Sized LEGO Characters: Glinda and Elphaba from Wicked, Star Wars’ K-2SO, and more gave fans curated selfie moments and doubled as backdrops for reveals.
- Exclusive Swag: From Julie Vu’s limited-edition poster to San Diego LEGO Con minifigure torsos and LEGO Life Magazine variant covers, every item tapped into Comic-Con’s collector culture
- Celebrity Pop-Ups: The cast of Ninjago, LEGO Masters competitors, and Ashley Eckstein (Star Wars) appeared for meet-and-greets and signings, embracing Comic-Con’s celebrity tradition while rooting it in LEGO storytelling.
Breaking Boundaries by Design
For 2025, we opened up the LEGO booth layout—inviting fans to flow naturally around the diorama and displays. Aisle signage was reimagined in LEGO form with insider nods like “2600” (a hacker reference). We also worked with LEGO Life Magazine on a con-exclusive variant cover featuring San Diego LEGO Con artwork, tapping into Comic-Con’s collector culture. Every detail reinforced the core idea: Comic-Con, rebuilt in LEGO.
The Human Impact
Over four days, 82,000 visitors came through the booth, 7,000 fans built their own mini booths, and 2,900 played Side Quest. Beyond numbers, the emotional response was extraordinary. Organizers cried when they first saw the diorama. Veteran crew called it the coolest booth they’d ever seen. Fans described it as the most authentic Comic-Con experience inside Comic-Con.
Why It’s Innovative
San Diego LEGO Con blurred the line between exhibit and attraction, brand and fan. It wasn’t just a booth—it was Comic-Con itself, recreated through LEGO imagination and opened for fans to co-create. By treating Comic-Con as IP, layering in LEGO franchises across every touchpoint, and designing an experience where everything delivered on one big idea, we created something never before seen: immersive, participatory, self-expressive, and unforgettable.
In short: LEGO built Comic-Con inside Comic-Con—and invited fans to help build it, too.
