Joakim Segeblad is the Lego Master behind Axelent's X-Protect campaign

Joakim has had an interest in Lego since childhood, but as an adult the interest was rekindled. A few years ago, his interest led him all the way to Lego Masters Sweden. An experience that would open doors he himself never thought was possible. Ahead of Axelent's major product launch for the new product segment X-Protect, Joakim was asked if he could build the entire range in Lego, which would be the Hero story of the campaign. A request that meant that his creative interest took place in a professional context for the first time. 

Who is the Lego Master Joakim Segeblad?

I work as a personal assistant but am currently studying to become a nurse and will finish my studies in February. Previously, I worked in the industry sector, but I had the chance to change my career during parental leave and have not regretted it. I find it very enjoyable to work with people. I live nearby Värnamo where I rent a house with my wife, our two children (a two-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter) and a cat. 

Lego is like painting in 3D 

As a small child, I built a lot with Lego, but the interest was rekindled as an adult and probably has a lot to do with my interest in creation. I like to paint and be creative, for example. with pearl art. I thought of the idea that I would like to be able to build and create in 3D, and Lego is like painting in 3D. In the beginning I created smaller projects such as a small Super Mario figure. 

The interest continued when I met my current wife. She shared my interest and it became something that was nice to do together. Now our children also like to build with us, and in addition to building, they also create a fantasy and a world around what they build, it's cool to see. 

Although the smallest in the family might find it even more fun to crash than to build. But our big girl has become really good at building, so it's fun that we can share the interest with the whole family. 

Lego is limitless and helps practice dexterity 

The best thing about this interest is that it is so limitless, I can sit and play with the kids or create something completely on my own. As a personal assistant, I have also integrated it as an educational part within the LSS operations where I work. Lego helps practice dexterity as it can be a challenge for some people to just put two pieces together. I think it feels rewarding to be able to weave together interests and work in that way. 

In Lego Masters, we got to go wild with Lego and it was almost surreal 

My wife and I sat in front of the television during the first season of Lego Masters Sweden. When she saw the commercial where they were looking for new contestants for the second season, she suggested that I should apply. But I didn't, so then she sent in an application for me. Someone from the program called me up to ask if I wanted to come to the casting to test build and they pair me up with a teammate. 

Just getting that call was like winning the first price and I felt lucky to be a part of this experience. The whole arrangement of getting to go into this Lego mine and just let loose with shelves of Legos, it was almost surreal! 

Being on TV was not so scary. When building, you were so focused on what you had to do, it was more uncomfortable when you had to sit and talk into the camera during the interviews behind the scenes. I am very happy with our team, and we went out with a middle position (fifth place). 

Joakim's most advanced Lego creation

The most advanced construction that I built myself is a TV with a Super Mario game where you crank the image on the screen that I built according to a manual. 

Otherwise, it is probably the constructions that we did in Lego Masters Sweden that are the most advanced, where you get to build on freehand and completely from scratch. One of our constructions was a tower that should stand as long as possible on a shaking table. It was built with technical parts inside for durability. Then we also built a flying island that was only attached to a small piece attached to a hanging steel wire. It was a challenge to get the whole creation to hold together because it was only stuck in one tiny detail. 

The collaboration with Axelent and the development of the campaign ideas 

It was the content agency, which has collaborated with Axelent in this campaign, that heard about me. Which I am very grateful for! The reason why Axelent ended up choosing to collaborate with me was probably partly that I have a local connection, which they thought was extra fun. But my participation in Lego Masters Sweden has of course also contributed to the awareness of myself. 

It was a very cool mission to embrace and perhaps even more surreal to be able to do something like this. Being able to use Lego creation in a professional context is very unique in our community. I also liked how the team had already built up a whole campaign idea behind it and I started to get knowledge on how it could be realized from my side. 

At first I tried to build the products in the same scale but realized quite quickly, when I got on site at Axelent and got to see the products physically, that it would be a bit too advanced and it would take a lot of Lego and we were working under a certain time pressure. 

So back to the design table, I worked out a few different prototypes in miniature scale using the pictures I took in the environments where X-Protect was placed at Axelent. I also got the opportunity to build the warehouse environment where a truck drives around and also each category of the X-Protect range. With the help of the pictures, I was able to create them as real as possible, and I am very happy with how the result turned out. My goal was for people to wonder whether it's real or not, and I think we achieved that. 

I think it's been great fun and a great honor to be part of this project and to be able to contribute with my expertise to a campaign in this creative way. And the fact that it has been such a success both internally at Axelent and the feedback from the customer feels extra fun! 

Brief facts about Lego

Lego is a system of plastic building elements that was developed in 1949 by the Dane Godtfred Kirk Christiansen (1920-1995). It is manufactured and sold by the Danish toy company Lego A/S. Lego comes from the Danish “leg godt”, in English it means "play well". Lego is a family business that is part of the owner family's financial company Kirkbi A/S. The head office is in Billund. The company was started by Ole Kirk Christiansen (1891-1958), father of the inventor Godtfred Kirk Christiansen.