JangBricks is the only guy I go to when it comes to any Lego review. One of the very few Lego channels that are truly honest and that can relate to when it comes to buying Lego sets.
He is great. And he actually values a set in multiple ways. Build wise but also and much more important, is it fun. And in particular is it fun for the group it is aimed at. Especially the smaller sets he does awesome reviews. I can't think of a better reviewer for Lego than him. And he pays for all his sets.
Jang blows the LAN channels out of the water. He's independent of Lego, and he clearly loves and knows Lego, has decades of experience with it, is a MOC builder, and uses his channels to support charity. He's not some 20-something who learned he can make a buck by getting in bed with Lego and playing the TH-cam game with manipulative thumbnails, shopping sprees, and breathless hype on behalf of Lego.
Ambassadors can be someone who promotes on behalf of a company or country or smthn so it makes sense, buttttt im not a huge fan of LAN. Im just saying the name isn’t necessarily wrong
I wholeheartedly agree with these points. I feel the whole LAN process is kind of broken. Most LAN review videos sound exactly the same. Thankfully there are still accounts like JangBricks who still buy the sets themselves and seem more genuine in their reviews. LAN should be used as a communication channel between fans and LEGO, but instead it's basically just a cheap marketing tool for LEGO.
I mean jang bricks is an even cheaper marking tool because he buys the sets and rarely gives a negative review. And when he does it's mostly because of his personal prreferncnce like his hated for optimization in Lego sets....
The thing I dislike most about LAN reviews is because they are tied to an embargo date and get a dossier on the set, LAN reviews feel so similar that most feel like clones of each other. When they all come out on the same day there’s no point in watching them all as they’re so repetitive. Whereas someone like Jang is refreshing because his just come out when he gets a chance to make it, so it stands alone.
Great video... but since now that I have been forwarded this video multiple times after I already giving it a "watch" and a "like," I feel like should give my two cents. I feel like most people in this comment section are not thinking critically and are easy to jump on the "why him/her not him/her because of this" bandwagon. Most really only look to a few people within LAN, and automatically label the whole. And even if by watching some of these LAN members...they don't watch every video from front to back. So.. for context.. Now I understand the frustration with how the community feels about the LEGO Ambassador Network from both the community aspect and I guess now as a LAN Member myself. I see how annoying it may feel as a viewer to wake up to a hundred posts of the same thing either on instagram or on TH-cam. I've pushed for years for many LAN members to do different things than simply "REVIEW" a set that LEGO sends them as they are all....or at least once were... creative in their video ideas. As I've demonstrated with my last 2 LAN videos, it can be done but that came at a cost. A piece of it.. is the convenience of doing a review video. They're EASY to do in comparison. If you have ton of sets.. and if you're trying to get the most out of them immediately... that's the easy road to travel. And if it's their job, well... time is money. Doing a unique video takes time... and unless it's your niche'... very hard to be successful in. It is a lot of "ask" when given a ton of sets. But, as many feel that given a set is advantage... yes and no. LAN members can't speak on leaks prior to embargo dates, where as anyone can hype up sets in their own content way earlier the LAN members do.. and that is an advantage on its own. JANG has demonstrated that you don't need the physical set to do a video on a set. Now as far as HONESTY... among the seasoned members that many mentioned in these videos... IT'S A 100% THERE... it's just people don't ACCEPT them as criticism. It seems that people want to see LOUD NEGATIVE EMOTIONS... rather than the mature tactful critiques made. I can see many LAN members state in their videos... that they: don't agree with pricing, don't like the set, don't understand why this was made, etc, but it's never pointed out by the overall community... instead... "LAN MEMBERS ARE NOT HONEST BECAUSE THEY GET IT FOR FREE!" Does it affect their opinions... I feel like it can, but LAN Members like Tiago, Sarah, and Alex Nunez among others... no.. they are very critical on sets and they hardly get that credit. And to continue on that notion of getting it for free. Many, and now... to include myself... give these LAN sets away to the community. Beyond the Brick is the perfect example of that. They give almost all there sets away. I've seen Jeansversion and Alex Nunez do the same. Now although I made it obvious and public on one of my videos.. doesn't mean that others need to do the same. Many of us simply do a good deed and don't want to gain clout over it. Many LAN members to include myself... reject or don't want the set being sent our way, and don't receive them. It's not about getting FREE LEGO for many of us. For myself, it eliminates the red tape and vetting LEGO has when collaboration opportunities arise or access to LEGO themselves. There are many LAN members who are vocal to LEGO... now I will agree.. there are many that are not when it comes to providing feedback to LEGO from the community from a ground level. And I can't honestly say... that they listen every time.. but what I can say.. is that LEGO does pay attention when enough of a topic is being said. And a lot of times... decisions that designers cannot control. Last... I will say... to address some of the comments written. There are definitely favorites in the program by LEGO in appearance... but that's a different conversation for another day. And if you've work for or with the corporate world... this shouldn't be a surprise. So I want to conclude by saying that there was a time where being in LAN was not a bad thing in the community... it was celebrated and respected. It sucks that some of my friends got kicked from the program (Ryan and Holly), and I 100% HAVE EMPATHY on how it feels to be LET GO from the LEGO Group. But that doesn't mean that everyone else in the program simply SUCK based on the fact... that they're in the program. All of them see the criticism made about the program by the community.... and are trying to navigate the best they can to appease both parties. It's simply... not an easy task that I know weighs heavily on all of them... to include myself. Imagine the trolls and negative comments already received... now amplify that now simply because they're in LAN. Most weren't given this opportunity and had to work to get into the program. Why bash them for achieving personal goals in wanting to build a relationship with a company that we all love? And I'm not saying to not hold LAN members accountable... but at least.. be respectful. They are AFOLS just like the rest of the community.
This comment encapsulates my thoughts 100%. I’ll also add: A) you don’t have to be a MOC builder to appreciate sets. Plenty of set builders in the community and I value their opinions and/or content. B) The notion that getting something for free dilutes the value of an opinion is wrong. Plenty of work goes on behind the scenes that we don’t see. As Shy said, time is money. To me the takeaway is: if you don’t like the way any LEGO creator makes content, just don’t follow them. Personally, half of my content is for people outside of the LEGO community, so even though it may not be news or exciting to you, others really like and appreciate it.
I appreciate your perspective. The sad truth is there is always a toxic part of every fandom and there will always be some content creator ready to promote and exploit that for views (i.e. money). Negativity drives engagement, unfortunately. And as a result, the LAN folks are an easy target for a number of reasons. Sorry. It sucks. That said, I don't think that's the case with this particular video but it's getting a little black/white and simplistic in the comments.
I love your channel - honest and well thought out content. I unsubscribed a huge Lego channel because I was tired of seeing the mega Lego shopping hauls and all the free products. I like smaller ‘real’ content creators - they’re doing it for the joy, not the freebies!
The shopping haul videos can get really tiring, especially when it's in your face. Like yeah a bunch of us spend way too much on LEGO and anybody can take one look at just a bit of our collections and add up the cost, but there's something weird about posting every single trip you take to the LEGO Store and having the thumbnails be something like "$8,000 LEGO HUAL!" plastered over a photo of a dozen yellow bags. Like great, you spent several times more on LEGO in one day than most people make in a month if they're lucky.
Excellent analysis as always. I find many TH-cam Lego influencers/informal paid marketers to be extremely out of touch with everyone else. I cringe at the sight of any videos bragging about their $$$$ Lego haul when many kids might not be able even to afford a basic Lego set. Lego has never been about how much money on spent but rather the building experience and creativity generated from even the smallest sets.
Out of touch yeah, like sure I'd get a free Venator and drool over the fig and go fuming like a totally insane person when a small set is brought with that fig? Most people get a Venator because they think the build is awesome, because it is a great display piece. Who pays hundreds of dollars/euros on a set just to get that fig?
@@dgray3771 don’t get mad some people can afford to do that. I agree with some of the stuff he’s saying up here but if you have the money to buy it, you have the money to buy it the people that I look at get some stuff for free and already got tens and thousands of sets. I don’t know if y’all are talking about that same person but there’s no need to be so damn envious of him, when his whole damn house is full of Lego and obviously it is obvious that he loves Lego. Damn, I would hate to put my stuff up here because you all would be saying the same shit right now I believe I’m one person that probably has every single set from 1975 until to now because I’m 60 years old, but I choose not to broadcast my stuff because of theft. It would be very easy for me to be a LAN. But I have seen so many people hate because somebody is and I honestly don’t think that the guy that you all are probably talking about takes the hard about the free stuff he gets because he’s already somewhat of a damn billionaire. I don’t think he has an issue and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with people that do these hauls they’re spending their money. I’m honestly happy to say that I have never filmed. None of my stuff or became an influencer. I would hate to see what the hell you all would have to say about me get over the envious bullshit. I have nothing against Lego. Everybody has a choice whether to buy or not to buy and if they choose to send people free stuff then that’s on them, you have nothing to do with it.
@@michellewhitley8668 There is no envy. I got like 5000 dollars worth of TF figures. Own almost the entire GI Joe classified line including army building the troopers. I got about 20.000 worth of Lego. Trust me it's not from a point of envy. But if I was at the store and a set was there that I want and it's the last one. And a kid was eying it with his parents wanting it too. I'd let him have it. I hate how some people are. Greedy as f. And just Scrooge incarnate. I also spread my buys if I want to get multiple of an item so I don't clear out. Give other people a chance too. Maybe it is because I grew up poor and had to work my way up in life. But Lego should be for kids first but especially fun be it a small or big set does not matter. And how collecting is treated these days it is more about how much a set is worth than if it is fun. The single Tie fighter set for example. It got so much hate why, cause it is smaller and looks more toy ish than the bigger previous one. But it is very sturdy a great kids toy and it fits neatly with most series that came out the last few years. It really is a great set. But nope haven't seen a review that isn't bashing it for that. I'm just kinda done with the reviewers. For this and plenty other reasons mentioned. And to sum it up, it's just disappointing that these people are the cornerstone of the community. People that others look at for advice. And that has nothing to do with envy.
I disagree. You eat well, right? so many kids do not. But you do not take half of every meal you have and give it to someone else. It is ok for them to get sets for free. But it is also ok for us to say we don;t trust their opinions are not influenced by desire to get more sets free (and ahead of time)
This commont is extremely out of touch... because if you say is true then the whole LAN community and Lego is in breach of US law making them all crimals as they are not disclosing getting paid for their vidfeos.... Do you have any evidence of this? I mean I can't think of a single Lego era that didn't have pictures of a whole range of Lego on the box... And I highly doudt that given the cheapest Lego sets are cheaper then any meal you can get at a restraint and thats on launch and of sale... Then why is Classic one of the smallest themes then and has been for a while?
Great topic and video! One major problem is the inconsistency in LAN's policies. For example, one of my favorite youtubers was removed from LAN cause she lended a set to her friend to review. Meanwhile, another youtuber who is in LAN is freely allowing her husband to review sets on his own channel, which isn't even a part of LAN. She is in LAN and gets these sets to review and has fans that want her to review them and isn't reviewing them at all and just gives them to her husband. This double standard is so frustrating and confusing. The selection of youtubers who get sets also seems flawed. For example, LAN has been sending Star Wars sets to a youtuber who specializes in LEGO Harry Potter and knows nothing about Star Wars. At the same time, they are ignoring the biggest Star Wars LEGO channel. So many new people that don't have a community or anything are also joining in. What's worst is that many of these youtubers receive free sets and then give overly positive reviews, even when the sets aren't as good as they claim just to keep getting free LEGO. People still go and rely on Jang and MandR that are not even in LAN. When fans express concerns about sets, minifigures, or other aspects of the products, LAN members often fail to communicate these issues to LEGO if they don’t personally see a problem. This selective feedback process means that the voices of regular fans are not being heard. Additionally, when it comes to leaks, LAN members pass the information along to their friends, making this exclusive circle of insiders. And I know this as a fact. Actual fans and community members who aren’t connected to these circles are left out of the loop. This has some pretty big financial advantages, you know x figure is coming and you can sell your old expensive one etc.
What kills me is that Danibob has been selling her LAN sets on Mercari and LAN didn’t punish her like they did some other LAN members who made honest mistakes.
I'm a big process person, and unevenly applied rules really bother me. I know some LAN members are getting sets in themes that they generally "specialize" in, but they do get sets they don't really care all that much about (the Avatar sets come to mind).
Don’t take it as the gospel truth, but Bricksie mentioned in one of his videos that Lego allows them pick or pass on certain kits (Sonic, Friends, etc.) to review.
Look up Tiago Catarino he reviews the sets and gives his honest opinion. Some times it’s not favorable to the set. He has a lot of insight since he was a Lego Designer.
The cost is relative. Look at this: "ZEGNA Men's Stretch Denim City Fit Jeans $750.00" There are plain cotton blue jeans that cost more than the Lego Millennium Falcon. People who have the money for things like this aren't hurting for anything, so for them buying a $500 Lego set is effectively getting for free/for less than the cost of what they pay for jeans (you know, the kind of people so out of touch they think a banana from the grocery costs $15). Would you want their opinion on a Lego set? Contrariwise, you have people who need to save for months or in some cases years to buy a big Lego set. Would you want their opinion, given how dearly it came? But, honestly, anyone with enough disposable income for a $500 Lego set isn't hurting at all for money.
@@DatBlockSG No because Lego like most companies like feedback especly negative ones... Like who has ever been sued and llst by and to lego for having negative feedback?
"This set was sent to me by Lego, but all options are my own" As soon as i hear that line i immediately tune out. Jang is the only Lego reviewer i subscribe to. When someone is getting all the sets for free, being flown out to see what's coming out months in advance i don't really buy that they can be unbiased.
As an owner of a small Lego TH-cam channel I really appreciate this video. Not only the things you said but this video put the wind back in my sails and gave me a lot of motivation to keep going and keep making videos/content Ty
It really irks me when channels go from primarily city building to only LAN reviews and shopping vlogs. It like if someone set up a channel to show us how they are recklessly spending their lottery winnings. Whats worse is when they devolve into travel vlog channels with all of the special LAN event invitations, visiting every LEGO store on the way.
Yes, so many of the channels are just travel vlogs of boring lan events, movie premieres, and videos looking for minifigs to sell on whatnot. It's gotten so repetitive and boring.
@@SO-ym3zs I mean you can say the same thing to all of media or really for all the different industries... Like what is wrong with making a video for entertantment anyway?
I'm with you. I have only recently gotten into Lego, inspired by how complex and creative the sets have become in recent times, and when I started looking for TH-camrs to follow I found the ones who got the free sets to be a bit unpleasant. I couldn't exactly pin down how, but their content just felt facile and like they'd lost touch with the average fan. It's the small channels who are trying to do fun unique stuff, or really show off their originality and creativity with MOC and diorama builds that have appealed to me.
Very good points. The impression I get with the LAN program is it is mainly an inexpensive marketing program for LEGO to build hype and FOMO around initial releases. That isn’t to say that is bad. However as you say if the LAN members were encouraged (financially?) to bring back customer feedback that would be a good complement. Part of this may come down to the approach LEGO takes in pumping new sets to the LAN. There could be a category of member that was only required to create MOC’s and receive a discount on bulk bricks in exchange. The motivation needs to match the desired result.
Have you seen Shy's first LAN video? I think he's the first one to do it right. It did not feel like a REVIEW Video and he got the LEGO Community involved by giving LEGO the community perspective. He even gave the sail barge away. Maybe this is the way.
I've enjoyed every Shy video I've watched, and I was happy he's now in the LAN. His perspective tends to be unique and I'll have to check out his new content. It's so cool he gave the set away!
JangBricks has excellent reviews (and MOCs) and has a clear disclaimer upfront that he buys sets himself. I'm limiting my TH-cam Lego AFOL channels to you guys, Jang, BrickTsar, and Bricks and Giggles (latter two focus more on vintage) -- the only LAN TH-camr I enjoy is Alex Nunes -- his city and honest reviews are reliable.
cant stand the haul videos with the thumbnail of a shocked face next to thousands of dollars, surrounded by the big lego bags...it works for clicks.. but its not really the spirit of lego...
How is it not in the sprit of Lego exactly? Like I can't think of an era of Lego that didn't do that in it's ads, magizines and on the boxs, maneuls of sets... besides they are fun to watch as you get to live though them which is an insanely popular genre of content since forever....
@@GreenBlueWalkthrough They advertised their other products, as any company would do, but videos of social media influencers sponsored by Lego showing off thousands of dollars of product they bought in order to generate income through TH-cam? There was never anything like that. That's a completely modern phenomenon without parallel in their old ads or catalogues. Either way, those videos are in terrible taste, playing on or exhibiting people's worst motives: greed, jealousy, consumerism, and braggadocio. And they have nothing to do with what Lego is actually about--or actually used to be about: building and creativity.
@GreenBlueWalkthrough as an influencer supported by Lego, their objectivity to be impartial in the reviews is questionable. A lot of viewers will make informed decisions on whether they buy a particular set from TH-cam videos as they are deemed a trusted source material for doing so.
As older collector, I take the influencer reviews with a grain of salt. Recently, in one of the more popular TH-cam channels, the reviewer punted regarding the price of the UCS sail barge. Part of any real review should consider price smh.
How about reviewers that simply take the sets, put it together but do not use the stickers with the set. How can you review the set without using the stickers that are an essential part of the set? If you review, review the whole product, price, build, fun factor & all the parts that includes stickers of the set.
I think it is completly fine to leave the price open for the viewer to decide on. It should of course be said how much the set retails for, but in the end the review should show you, what the product contains and what you can do with it. Wether or not it is worth the price is up to anyone. What good is it gonna do if someone else says "this is priced too high" or "this is priced good" when you don't know about their economic situation. Someone who makes 7k a month will have a completly different perception of what is expensive than someone who makes 2k a month. It is a very much relative thing really, I think.
@@AClassicBrick Getting "value" for what it costs is definitely a argument to make on any item. Looking at how beautiful the item is what you can do with it and how it compares to other similar products both in quality and design. Everyone knows what 1 dollar is worth or 1 euro. So comparing it that way is never bad. The biggest problem I have with price comparison is this and it is relatively simple, but rich folks hate to hear this. When you for example compare the UCS ATAT with the regular 75288 ATAT. You lose me. Because the item is under 200 bucks while the UCS is 800 ish. I got real collectors items for different brands. And would never ever compare a toy with a collectors item. It's like saying someone should buy a Ferrari instead of the matchbox version. But less extreme. It is unfair to people who can't ever afford it and to people who simply do not have space for such a huge item. Heck I got trouble fitting my stuff in my place. And I got plenty space compared to some people. If you get value for your money in terms of brick totals and how well an item is made is good enough. Fitting in items when it comes to scale. That's fair. Is it screen accurate to a degree. That's fair. But to gush over extremely pricey items and starting to compare that with a kids toy that isn't fair. And I heard it when people say "the UCS is so much better". Yeah you almost buy a car for that... It better be. But don't rub it in. Most people are lucky to get 2 or 3 battle packs. They don't have to be rubbed in that you got 50 and look how awesome it is to have this army. "You can do that too!"...No I got bills... It really is a disconnect on that part where these people who already got free stuff and on top of that infinite money to fuel their hobby. Now I sit in the middle, I got a good job. But I know plenty of people who really are tight and have to pick 1 or 2 sets a year to buy. But I feel these sharks who got infinite money are too disconnected with reality for most people. Most people cannot waste 500 bucks a month on Lego. But they don't understand.
@@AClassicBricki think this is a dangerous way of thinking. Yes someone with 7k/month more likely buys a expensive set as someone with half of that. BUT that’s not the point. Reviewers should still do research on pricing especially on comparable older or recent sets. Like for example the new UCS Jabbas Sail Barge: you could get the UCS Razor Crest for that money and the set is objectively way better. If you do your research you’d come up with a 350€ price at max for the Sail Barge. So saying this set is not worth the 500$ because of how other similar sets are priced or based on that you could get better sets for that money is a objective fact not a opinion and it’s Important for the viewers so they are able to sort this set in. Some just don’t have any idea about how LEGOs pricing across the products.
@@dgray3771the review should be really detailed to justify 800€ that’s most people’s f.u.ing RENT ! If you spend the money for your rent on a LEGO set then it should really be the greatest shit ever without any flaws. This is why I really think those sponsored reviews and some fan reviews are just looking at it from a wrong angle. You should always and most forward look at it money wise. What is 800€? How much is that, what can you buy with that kind of money? Then you can start looking at the set. Hobby’s can go too far. You should ALWAYS relate it and compare to real life. If you buy a plastic model for 800€ without careful consideration you lost control
Something tells me this is about to be your most watched video. 😅 Kudos for being brave enough to post this, because ... yeah. My biggest complaint is a LAN member trying to review a specific IP set when they don't know the first thing about that IP. One chick was sent Rivendell, and she didn't know jack about LOTR. How TF can you properly review that if you don't know the references? All you can say is, "Super fun build. Awesome techniques. It's so pretty!" 🙄 A proper review can only be done by someone who knows the subject matter. And this goes back to paying for it. Anyone willing to shell out $500 is almost certainly going to be a LOTR fan and have a clue. There are 3 LAN members I like a lot, mostly for just coming across as genuinely nice people who know what they're talking about. But most others I find highly irritating. Some are downright loathsome to me. Like everyone else has said, I'm also a Jang fan. While I'm at it, shout out to Stud Lord and Brick Sculpt, too. And Josh Builds Stuff is criminally undersubbed. The dude is hilarious.
Those are all really good channels (and I especially agree about Josh Builds Stuff). It's hard to watch reviews if people don't know much about the subject matter. If we ever do that, it's due to a modular building being released in another theme (Marvels) and we focus on the modular component.
@@buildingtogether4171 Yeah this video had me bounce because you hace no idea how modern jornlism works or even what a influncer is... Like how hard is it to do reseach?
Don’t trust LAN members who only upload videos reviewing the free sets they get. Some of them can’t even be bothered to buy any other sets/bricks themselves and it’s so obvious where there intentions are.
What’s fascinating about the perception of it being an ad program, it operates SO inefficiently as such. Frustratingly so if you’re on the inside and care at all.
@@MandRproductions Does it operate inefficiently? From the outside it looks like minimal expenditure for regular online product blitzes. What's different about the reality?
@@trev3971 Because it's cheaper to not give out sets and just buy opions... aka make ads.... Like it's much cheaper to buy a profesnal influncers optuion then send a set to press....
I saw a TH-camr talk about why she isn’t in LAN now, even though because before she was getting free sets, she said she decided to quit it because she wasn’t allowed to be so honest and wasn’t allowed to use any alternative bricks such as MEGA on her social media. People don’t seem to remember but when I was a kid I had both MEGA and LEGO and they worked perfectly together and never broke- back then the only way to get girly colours was mega and the price was similar. There are some really fake LAN members always happy with everything LEGO produces and really the price on some sets, the design and the fact they have mini dolls actually is negative for many people but never them!
It's a shame brick building coverage is skewed so heavily towards Lego. The other brands produce some amazing stuff at better prices than Lego, so props to that TH-camr for doing the right thing and severing ties with Lego.
@@SO-ym3zsit’s because LEGO tries everything to kill off any competition. There is a reason legos legal department is bigger than legos design and production department. They even use very dirty tricks to throw over small businesses. For example they keep delaying the court hearing for so long until the small business gets bankrupt because of the legal fees and can’t pay their lawyer anymore. Then they show up to the process and destroy the defenseless company. Did that one multiple times now. They also warned the border patrols of potential fake LEGO so they actually confiscated the containers and destroyed it. The building brick toys inside were actually not interfering with any licensing or patent LEGO had. They were planned for charity so orphan kids can have toys for Christmas. LEGO didn’t want them to have not LEGO products and the border patrol believed them. LEGO can do a lot of scummy things with their money and horde of lawyers.
I think that the whole you can't be honest as a LAN member is a lie or they just had a bad liaison... As most LAN members express negative feedback in their videos if not make a negative review al togather...
@GreenBlueWalkthrough The problem is there's a clear conflict of interest that will necessarily make people question the integrity or honesty of LAN members. That's not to say they're all dishonest, but the question mark will always hang there as long they have a business relation with the company whose products they're discussing/promoting. As channels like Jang have shown, you can eliminate even the appearance of impropriety by not being sponsored and still making excellent, popular content.
Yep, you can really see this. All people talking in a positive way about Lego, even though the sets are getting worse and worse over the years. The competition isn't sleeping. There are great other manufacturers out there. Over time people will realize this.
11:50 it’s interesting because it used to be every man for himself essentially. Now LEGO wants to be the kingmaker. To your point that everyone in there grinding for so long and hard to get there… I beg to differ. And the program is headed by a guy who makes fun of dedicated fans for buying the product. I could go all day loved the video, plus one subscriber and like for your count! :)
keep on doing what you do MandR, your analysis of SW sets in particular always drills into the areas and discussion points that the hardcore fans want to hear about. The LAN reviews of those sets, in comparison feel superficial, like they are just following a template to get a review done as quick as possible.
@@buildingtogether4171 I actually disagree with a lot of the points in this video 1. You cited the LAN as competition that keeps smaller channels from growing. I think this point doesnt make much sense, as compeition is always going to be there regardless. In your example of your medival village set breakdown video doing well, you said that because you had that 9 or so hour headstart you were able to get those views. But, if these guys werent tied to LAN, they would have posted these images earlier, and dominate smaller channels regardless as they will be bigger channels. I generally think that whether LAN exists or not, smaller channels would still have a very similar market as they do today. 2. LAN reviews as being "advertisement" or like in a sense not as real as their being provided by LEGO is an interesting point (this is not exactly what you said I am just summarizing what I think is generally being said). While I can see why that may be an issue, as many LAN creators may tend to bolster or uplift new sets in order to keep Lego sending them sets isn't a strong point for me personally. A lot of reviews I see do highlight when Lego sets are bad, or just not as good as others. Now this may be due to the certain genre of creators I watch (mainly a Ninjago guy), but for the most part I dont see really any bias coming from content creators when making videos. I personally think these reviews are insightful and help me decide whether or not I want to buy a set. I also think in general theres the difference between watching and listening, if one were to be watching I feel like you can get more of what you want out of a review than what is being said. One of the bigger reasons mech sets are just not for me, is because lots of little things fall off, and tend to be an annoyance. Which in a review for Cole's Titan Dragon Mech, Duckbricks was talking about this set highly (makes sense, that set was an endeavor in Lego Mechs), I noticed that lots of little pieces were falling off when interacted with the set, and I made the choice not to buy it. I feel like a person who's making that decision to spend money on a Lego set may spend the time watching the video, seeing if itsa good fit for them, rather than listening to what a LAN member might say. 3. In a sense, as a smaller channel myself, I've decided to deal with the compeition by playing in a field where there isnt much compeition. Everywhere you go, competition will exist. Its applicable to really everywhere in life. I feel like getting rid of LAN's access to these sets and information really does not change as much, as in the end your gonna always face compeition. You wont always have that market share. 4. The Lego Survey. I definitely think Lego could have used LAN to conduct that survey, but realisitically that survey was flawed within itself. The target for Lego products doesnt necessarily lie in people with Insiders accounts. Lego putting this survey there creates bias as its available to people who not only have an Insiders account, but also check it/use it regularly. That creates an undercoverage bias, as there are other people who buy Lego sets toothat arent big Lego fans, that might not care as much about instructions. Those were just some of my thoughts on the video, hope they werent too messy! Would love to hear how you feel about these!
Jang is the #1 Lego channel and he refuses all freebies - pays for the lot and makes (publicly announced) decisions not to buy certain sets based on price. I am subscribed to Jang and I am subscribed to you and to only one influencer. I find him somewhat unbelievable because he has such a glut of Lego sets they must be practically meaningless to him.
You know by the lose definition of influencer which is used in this video all 3 channels mentioned are that because they all have an audnce right? Also what? Every expert in any field needs to have a glut of expernce to be an expert... Like how can you believe Jang when he also has a ton of sets too?
I am not angry that Lego asked about removing directions. I am glad they got the feedback they needed. Sometimes we have to hear answers we don’t want to hear. Personally, I think removing paper instructions is foolish. I do not have any real feelings about LAN. It certainly sounds like the old system was better but Lego isn’t really making what I want anyway. I hope that they will circle back to smaller sets for Castle and create more train sets. Enjoy your videos and I do enjoy your take on what is going on.
7:31 “all they had to do was ask” - That is literally the point of a survey send it to a small sample to get some understanding. Asking is just asking. They could have no intent to actually remove the instructions. That is how product surveys work.
I mean I'm have a much smaller sub count then he does and have gotten countless review copies in my 13 years of being a youtuber. And he is saying I'm part of a problem simple because he has zero idea how Journalism on TH-cam works... Kinda makes him a distasteful human being doesn't it?
Regards the first point - it depends on the content of the channel. If we subscribe to a person who creates cool mocs, and suddenly they change their scope to reviews and no more mocs, then maybe it is not worth to follow them anymore, but for other types like speed builds - I cannot see that the content would change much if some set would be sponsored by LEGO.
I have collected Lego from the mid 1980’s till now. Lego has gotten too focused on the sets and not building for fun. The whole point of Lego is to build it, destroy it and build again. It’s fun to have sets that stay as sets, like a Lego city, but also fun to add your own creations to them. I really enjoyed the music shop that your did a little while ago. It was so well thought out, researched and very obviously, lovingly built. I don’t like review videos, mostly. Unless I’m slightly interested in the set and want to see more of it. Usually, I either want a set or don’t. I don’t need an influencer to hype me up to go buy it. Influencers also create a warped sense of reality. Most Lego collectors can’t and don’t go dump thousands of dollars a month in buying all the new sets. Kids and young adults (and sometimes us older adults too) get frustrated because why can’t we have all that as well? As you said, these influencers have put in the time and money to grow their channel to get to this point but they are a tiny few. Anyway, great video and you’ve raised some excellent points as always.
I'm subbed to a bunch of LEGO influencer/ambassador channels for the heck of it. The funniest thing about them for me is how, every time there's a new set sent to them for review, ALL of them upload their videos about it at EXACTLY the same time. Like suddenly just 5-10 videos in a row in my subscription list on the same set. It's so weird.
It's by design. The embargo time/date is set up to encourage people to release their videos simultaneously, which also gooses the algorithm and helps create FOMO.
@@trev3971 No, It's to give the press an equal oprtunaty to be first otherwise those with fast turnaround who got the thing first would always get the first video which can be months in advance.... So an embargo makes for a much less stressful time for the press... Which to my knowledge influncers don't get such things just a deadline to get their ad out... Also for the company it allows for a targeted marketing push with the intent to flood headlines with your product... And views get to have an experience where they get to partake in the activity... Like this practice predates youtube by a long margine and has nothing to do with FOMO...
As a small channel myself, you're speaking my thoughts exactly and have given some good food for thought about what type of content we can make that is useful without needing access to new sets ahead of time. Cheers!
Great video mate. Us smaller channels need to stick together. I personally dont think there’s anything wrong with lan, i myself have applied to get in…but if you get in you need to put yourself in the shoes of the average working man who has to part with his hard earned money for these sets. Just because a lan member gets it for free they should still ask the question is this set worth it’s retail price, a question not many want to answer
I mean he is demoizing sanyone who gets review copies though and that would honestly make me his devil even though my channel is smaller. Because I have gotten countless review copies like I really can't see any LAN member have gotten more review copies then me...
Well sometimes the fact you’re not held to a release day for info can work for you as you stated. I love your Chanel as I find it intelligent and interesting. I will pick a review of a set from your channel before most others because I trust your input and I don’t care if it is a couple weeks later. lol. Keep up the great work, I love the content and remember keep building together. lol. 👍
I like your interesting take on this subject. I‘m running a very small German channel myself for a couple of years now and I actually don’t care what LAN members are doing. In fact, I’m hardly following them, because I they will almost all publish something about the same sets all at once. That’s not really catching me. So I prefer reviews from left and right of the mainstream LAN. It just feels more authentic to me.
I really enjoy your channel. I'm over the only review channels. The ones that are part of the LAN. They seem so smug about it. The program does need to look at the way it currently works. I do understand from Lego that this is still a great way to advertise their sets. It's also a lot cheaper than other advertising for them. I know people in the LAN who do past on information to Lego from our community.
It definitely is cost-effective for Lego, but I agree that there is an interesting culture surrounding it. I'm glad you know of people in the LAN that are sharing info!
Lego ambassadors should be treated as Lego employees for tax purposes, as the sets they give to the ambassadors can have a significant value. It feels like Lego is walking a fine line of being too cheap to pay for advertising and not paying taxes for its operations.
IDGAF about LAN. To me it’s LIP Service, Lego Influencers Program Service. I’m not subscribed to any of those people, and once I find out they’re in LIPS, I unsubscribe. It’s just garbage. I only care about the pieces themselves. The pieces are what matter to me. I build MOCs. I like when you do these kinds of videos, social/psychological commentary. It’s good. I like channels that teach building techniques and tips, like BrickSculpt. IDGAF about a LIPS! I’m glad people buy these junk sets, keep Lego in business, so I can get my pieces for my MOCs. Just my view from an AHOL (not a fan, I just habituate Lego). Keep up the good work on these vids. Subscribed! 👍
I mean where are you getting parts from that didn't come in a set? LIke even pick a brick only has parts from sets so you should care about new sets as they contain new parts....
@ I get a lot of parts from PAB, I might buy from Bricklink soon. I build medieval/fantasy MOCs for a Medieval Village based off the design of the Medieval Blacksmith. I’ve bought 10 of them - plan to buy more, I’ve got unlimited funds. There are a few other sets that I’ve bought multiple copies of because it made sense monetarily (price/piece for my MOCs). I’ve never bought a set because of a LIP service member.
I mailed them to be more generous with the insiders pts. They have this whole structure to squeeze every dollars (every companies in entertainment), like removing instructions from sets and other marketing strategies. They started removing cables and controllers from gaming consoles and no one said nothing.
One solution is they get the free set to review but have to donate it afterwards. Then you will see who the real LAN"S are. If lego want's to pay them they can pay them as an employee then as some others stated. I don't know if it says "not for resale" on all the boxes they get. Either way they can make thousands a month reselling in box / out of box if they are getting enough sets tax free. As far as paying attention to what they have to say I just take it with a grain of salt and then throw it away for the most part.
My main issue with the LAN is ethics and accountability: the LAN influencers may not be getting paid in cash, but they're essentially getting paid by Lego just the same: the Lego sets they get for free have a (high) retail dollar value. They often increase in value after retirement. Getting early sets and exclusive information, interviews, etc. from Lego all directly contribute to views, which in turn generates income for the influencer. So, how am I supposed to believe or trust a "reviewer" whose livelihood depends on staying in Lego's good graces, so they can keep getting all these things with economic value from Lego? I view these people as PR flacks for Lego. They're a step away from being employees.
@@KeepOnBrickingg How often do they do this versus someone who isn't beholden to Lego? How do we know to what degree, explicitly or subconsciously, they've been influenced by the company they're promoting?
I completely agree with every point made in this video. Thank you so much for making this!! The point you made about people not watching smaller channel’s reviews because, why would they need to when they can watch LAN members reviews 2 weeks early is so true and it does absolutely suck. The only solution to that I can think of is trying to do out reviews differently. Have something that makes them stand out from other reviews and make them unique. I have no idea what that could be. Maybe something silly like - if you don’t get the review done in under 5 minutes you have to do a funny forfeit or something? I have no idea, but the fact that we even have to try and think of stuff like that says enough!!
I mean it's been completely normal in Journalism since forever and the solution is just have a community that is your family and that want to see your video on the subject...
@@ninjagonmore It is a net good though... The tubers get first dibs while not worrying about who might might first, the company gets a solid marketing push, and the viewers get to see a ton of viewpoints at once while getting an experience... Honestly the world would be worse off if Journalism did not work this way.
it's all just to make people have FOMO, drive them to the Lego store. but yeah, LAN is basically the toy commercials during Saturday morning cartoons. i do like some of the youtubers, but only the ones w actual content, not just a review farm of sets they got for free
I like paper instructions, that's part of the whole building experience for me. From what I've heard from LAN youtubers is some sets they just get sent, some they are offered to get and they can pick some sets they want. So you have to watch the Star Wars LAN member if you like SW or the Mario LAN member if you like Mario. You can tell the review isn't as upbeat if a LAN member doesn't get a set or theme, they don't like compared to a set they do like/want.
Yet he can probably rest assured that he will make the money back with his video about the set, so basicly he also will have them for free probably. That is not to descredit him as a reviewer, he does great content and discusses his views on sets very well. Great stuff.
@@AClassicBrickI don't know. It seems that he is increasingly struggling financially, because in the end it comes down to views and clicks. And if paid influencers get sets weeks in advance and can put out their content immediately while independent reviewers like Jang habe to wait for the official set release (to buy it in stores), build it and film a review - most of the set's buzz is already over.
Great video, mate. Certainly makes a lot of sense. Bricksie has demonstrated a lot of honesty with his reviews. He does reflect on the value, often discussing price per piece and the amount of stickers vs printed elements, etc. He also does buy a lot of sets himself, so there is a balance of freebies and purchases.
I have recieved a few sets from LEGO to review, writing for a LEGO Blog that is part of the LAN. When I do these reviews, I always try to ask myself the question "would I have bought this", I think it helps to get a better picture on how I feel towards the set. I also always try my best to discuss all aspects of the set and consider my opinion "untainted" by the "free" sets. I can't talk for every LAN reviewer out there, but I think many of them are genuinely excited about these sets and little would change, would they have to buy the sets, except for that they just simply wouldn't review certain sets they don't care for enough to buy them. I think it also depends on how affluent they are/wether or not they know a set is gonna make its money back with the review the influencer does on it. I don't want to say that recieving a set for free doesn't influence the opinion on it in any way, hell my first review of a "free" set was heavily tainted I think by my disbelief of the fact LEGO even sent me a free set to begin with. I was lucky back then that I didn't forget in my excitement to name the main problems with it and the internet at the time seemed to agree with me that the set was awesome and most people even agreed it wasn't overpriced but boy oh boy could that have gone worse. But afterwards I realised what happened there and since then I do put a lot more thought into presenting the sets as honest as I possibly can.
I've always theorized the anonymous leaks are a nudge-nudge, wink-wink situation, where Lego knows full well they're going to happen, or perhaps even participates, in order to build hype and excitement among buyers. And then, their slaps on the wrist against TH-camrs in public are just to save face and keep up the charade.
I think that's exactly what's going on. They could have easily caught the leakers by giving out "fake" leaks to different people (like Tyrion did in GoT) to find the leaker. It's how most spies are discovered and is quite effective at rooting them out. By "leaking" info, it builds massive hype for what's coming. Now, the pictures of sets coming out a day or 2 before an official reveal is probably not what Lego wants, but the leaked descriptions and pics coming out a couple months beforehand are almost assuredly allowed by Lego.
such a good point as a high end collector and i’m very close with chris from duck bricks and he is the most genuine nice kid and can tell in his videos but i agree with you on much of this and really solid video. thanks as always and we appreciate you my friend - Keep on Bricking
Chris clearly has a genuine love for Lego. But even if he wasn't in LAN, the fact that his family is incredibly wealthy means there's still a disconnect with the average consumer re: price.
@@trev3971 why do you feel there’s a disconnect I’m not rich and I have almost the same stuff. He has no disconnect there this man loves Lego as much as I do I’m a fanatic about it but I’m not a panel channel or anything. One thing I do do though is constantly keep in touch with Lego about everything that I buy and whether or not I’d like it and how I tell people in the store about it that I go to basically everybody here knows who I am in San Antonio in the stores, but I really do appreciate that bricks and would love to meet him one day. We have a lot in common.
@@trev3971 i’m 60 I’ve been collecting since 1975. My dad was stationed over in Germany so that’s when my collection started when I was 11 years old it became such a hobby all the way up to today. I’m retired military now, so I can just about afford it, it has always relieved a lot of stress because I have PTSD, but no by far I am not rich it is just a great hobby that I have. Three rooms full.
@@trev3971 i’ve been collecting since 1975 when my dad brought us over to Germany when he was in the army. I am 60 years old now retired military and have three rooms full, so yes it’s about as much as duck bricks. I don’t collect everything but it’s enough, but no I am not rich I mean think about it collecting since 11 years old and I’m 60 now yeah you’d have a lot of sets too. Lol I don’t sell anything and don’t list anything. I am not into that at all. I buy a lot one item I had missed out on was the orange 911 Porsche I remember when it was like 200 something dollars I had to check out 900 to get it from bricks and mini figures and right there it was sealed and I opened it up and everybody freaked out like what it was sealed. The price is going to go down. I said I’m going home to build this, I keep my instructions in my boxes but I’ve never sold anything I treasure all of that stuff my nephew says when he comes to my house is Lego land. He’s a very lucky little boy because he’s gonna end up with it.
I’ve noticed this with David from solid brix, I subscribed to his channel years ago for the massive mocs he builds but while watching this video I realized that I don’t remember a moc video of his coming out in a long time. You have my sub good sir
I’ve noticed how LAN influencers all seem to use the exact same descriptions on their videos. They show little creativity and always push the same information and talking points.
This seems common across different hobbies/interests on TH-cam, where the channels all ape each other in a desperate bid to please the almighty algorithm. If one video gets a lot of views, the competitors try to copy everything about it, and soon all the channels sound like idiotic clones of each other as they all scramble for a buck. Of course, with the LAN, you also have to wonder how much of the talking points are being fed to the channels directly from Lego's press kits.
The ambassador in the abbreviation LAN is no longer there to give feedback. LAN is just a cheap way for LEGO to advertise. It costs Lego a fraction of a $500 set to get tens of thousands of views. There is no cheaper way to advertise your products. Most LAN members are afraid to speak critically about the sets for fear of being kicked out of the program.
I have stopped watching the content of LAN influencers because of two reasons. 1. The disconnect, which you explained very well. 2. Since they all smbasadors get more or less the same sets and have the same embargo dates, they end up posting simultaneously and once you see a review, I learned that you don't need to waste time watching another one of the same set.
5:10 Lesser talked about examples of the rando running plastic change is the sets that used dark pearl gold suddenly having light pearl gold, andnot even updating the box art. This has led to"value speculators" into erroneously viewing the running change as a "rare misprint" on occasion and has made certain parts EXTREMELY expensive since around lockdown time. Also though the color stayed the same, lime green pieces became bizarrely brittle, a phenomenon that would then spread to the reddish brown and dark red bricks overtime.
Okay you kind of nailed it when you called this video you ranting. I do subscribe but am not that familiar with your channel. I have to be honest, the entire video read to me: 1. You wish Lego would give you as much attention as they do the bigger influencer’s 2. You need your channel to do well so you don’t have to spend money on Lego like the rest of us do (taking from our family budgets) 3. We should spend our precious time watching being philosophic instead of watching the content we enjoy. I don’t mean to be hurtful but I really don’t see the point of your video beyond you saying it’s not fair. Even you said the other influencers worked hard to get to where they are. So, do the work and maybe you will get there too. I disagree that those in the network don’t have a pulse of what we like. I mean it’s a corporation, they were going to try to get away from printing instructions if they could.
Thanks for the comment and for watching! I agree with your point that many of them have a pulse on what fans think. That's one reason why I made sure to note that it's very possible that Lego just doesn't listen when that feedback is passed along. However, it's also possible, due to the incentive structure of the LAN, that influencers won't be completely honest. You also make a good point that we should watch the content we enjoy. While this video was more of a thought piece, we have plenty of other videos where we build various things (small and large) and have fun. I have noticed, interestingly, that many people gravitate toward opinion-based content, and we have plenty of opinions, it's worth making this kind of content. I don't think it's hurtful to point any of that out, or even not seeing the point of the video! You did it respectfully and took time to type out your comment, which indicates you care about this at least a little bit. I absolutely don't wish Lego would give us as much attention as others. If there's a spot in the video where I did that, let me know. Honestly, I've never applied to be a part of LAN, nor do I have any intention of doing so (we're not that big or significant). My argument boiled down to three problems, the first two have nothing to do with us as a channel (influencers disconnected from the product; information problems). I intentionally deflected the third problem from being about one specific channel because I don't want it to be about us. However, knowing other people who run small channels, it affects us all (and there are hundreds of us). That's why I advocate for people to watch and subscribe to small channels in general (and specifically said, "It doesn't need to be ours."). As far as I know, at no point did I say it wasn't fair. I actually think it is fair! Influencers have spent years (if not decade) honing their craft and developing their brand. They've earned it, both in terms of time and in terms of Lego granting them that benefit through the application process. Indeed, I intentionally kept the critique focused on Lego as a company and not the influencers themselves.
I have been following a few LAN channels over the past few months and thought that the LAN member was obligated to review and do a video of the sets that they get for free. I don't have a problem with them getting free Lego because they do buy a lot of Lego from the pick a brick/pab wall for their MOC projects so I've always viewed them getting these sets as a thank you from Lego. Review content isn't my favourite content though because it feels like an ad and I prefer to see them building and working on the MOCs. As for the cost of the sets they get - that isn't their fault because it's Lego that designs the sets and set the prices. I wouldn't watch a channel if all it was was reviews because that gets dull and is just a set of ads. As for the smaller channels, do something different - make your own MOCs, do Live Build with Mes, do tutorials on how to custom build, make your channel a theme that you like, etc...
I get it's tough being the smaller Lego influencer, but the ones I watch have been doing their Lego channel for years. IMO they've earned their spot, and now it's how many of them earn a living. TH-cam has changed the way people get their news, consume goods and even get movie reviews. I watch smaller channels too.
The problem isn't that they're popular or earn their living off their channel: it's that they often pose as objective sources of news or reviews when they need to curry favor with Lego and promote their products for their channel to function. If they're getting a bunch of free, early sets and exclusives from Lego in exchange for media coverage, the conflict of interest is obvious. In many ways, TH-cam and social media in general have changed the way people get their info for the worse. There is little to no accountability or ethical standards. Anyone can say anything, and if they do it in an entertaining way, suddenly millions are parroting the same nonesense. Influencers have taken advertising into a super-sketchy realm, where a lot of people don't even realize they're being advertised to. Of course, product placement, sponsorships, etc. are hardly a new phenomenon. But the way it happens now online is really devious.
@SO-ym3zs My faves always state what sets are given to them. Rarely is there an issue with the sets, cause we're all Lego nuts. The usual issue, ironically, is the price of the set. I agree that influencers are GREAT advertising- that's how I, a 59 y/o, got into Lego. Lego is in business to make $, and their current strategy is working. I agree their original reason behind the Ambassador program has morphed, but, again, it is working. It's up to the adults in the room (we who shell out hundreds of dollars LOL) to sort out the authenticity of the review. Look, there's a channel for everyone, Your observations and feelings about Lego's business strategy is totally valid. I respect your opinion and look fwd to your upcoming videos. Subscribed 👍
I am not sure if we are thinking of one of the same person that basically converted their channel to review of free sets that LEGO send them only. I can tell you I very seldomly watch their channel now unless there is a set that I am on the fence and want to see more details. I originally started watching their channel because I want to learn interesting building techniques.
Completely agree. It made me decide to sell off my collection of sets worth tens of thousands of dollars. The prices have got insane and their reviews are dishonest. I buy other brands instead these days.
Well i wanted to be small independent lego reviewer but after a while it feeled like it was pretty much pointlles to make reviews because youtube just suggest on front page bigger youtube channels reviews so i have maded decision to just make my own stuff from lego sets pieces and i have done this my whole life just sitting in desk for hours building my own stuff for fun and release video on my channel some times and i will some times make lego set review but rarely nowadays so i want to be different from all the current reviewers because very few are just creating their own mocs:)
I watch your channel because you are independent and talk about Lego topics I dont see anywhere else. You also keep in mind finances in your reviews which is very important.
Great feedback. I think you are saying exactly what most people are and have been thinking about when it comes to LAN. I think lego have lost there way and are only interested in one thing. The amounts of sets that are coming out each year after the covid years are insane and very expensive. Anyway, keep up the good work.
We turned your videos into a drinking game.... every time you say "in got" instead of "ing get" you have to take a drink. Keep up the good work. Love the channel.
Definitely, reviews from LAN tend to be the same. And, as you say, opinions are biased when the manufacturer gives you all free products (take them as a 5-10-15k payment from LEGO to advertise their products). They do not look for true and genuine opinions, and they even try to force you to define your business model in a way is convenient for LEGO. One day I may tell my brief but hard week within the LAN...
It's not just Lego but corporate "networks" and "creator communities" in many industries that have transformed into marketing arms and little else. Corporations found that a $500.00 set could buy tens of thousands in marketing.
Yes. Lego is doing anything unique, but something seemingly every major company is doing. It does make sense in many ways: sending someone $500 of material in exchange for creating a video that will get tens of thousands of views has a logic to it.
Not a rant, you made a speech. New follower now. Love the part what you said about following new people. Well you'll find me interesting, I've been bricking for 33 years and I never spoke or share with the Lego community tell recently. Lego community always was and still is cringe. It sucks a few bad apples represents a community.
Hello, I have a couple questions about LAN just to understand more the marketing some of these influencers are doing. Is there any clause in a LAN contract that forces a so called influences to film themselves in a Lego store? to film themselves showing stuff they've actually bought? Just watched a Bricksie video where he rationalizes the price of that Minions banana car (75580) because the Minifigure's were great. The disconnect between the Lego community and the Brand/influencers is widening after every release.
Interesting topic. I must say that the influencers fits the strategy of modern companies. Lego is getting more popular. People watch influencers and this fits in the trend. The popularity has also impacted the LAN. There are now more RLUGs than 10 years ago and TLG can't keep in touch with all the RLUGs. I think that the LAN would be still the right way to address feedback to TLG. But then again, TLG can't keep in touch with all the RLUGs.
There's also a disconnect on what the LAN is for. It's not just influencers, or what's known as Recognized LEGO Fan Media. It's ostensibly a tool for LUGs and LOCs too, (user groups and online communities.) The term LAN has developed a negative connotation because of the points you brought up, but there are still groups out there with ambassadors who just interact with LEGO. We have access to benefit programs, but those programs are designed to help us build things for public events. As a LUG ambassador I agree with a lot of your concerns, and I share them. I feel the LAN is too heavily relying on RLFMs because it's free advertising. Why support a LUG that does an event for 100-500 people, or an ANE that does a convention for 5000 when you can just ship a few sets to a TH-camr that gets 100s of 1000s of views?
LEGO themselves have created this issue. The original idea of the Ambassadors was to bridge the gap between LEGO and fans and to enable dialogue. I’ve been to many events, invited by LEGO. My first events included a lot of fans, a lot of LUG Members. The last event I attended, the launch of the Orient Express, was almost exclusively influencers, and not even LEGO influencers. And it felt like these people had received financial compensation to be there? I have many friends who are in the process of joining the LAN and I have to question their motives.
Unfortunately this isn't just a problem in Lego but almost every sector in product reviews. Take tech for example where almost every major youtuber is sponsored by the oem they are "reviewing". If its sponsored by the manufacturer, its an advertisement not a review, period
As a result of looking for building buildings for my hotwheels/ matchbox/ "1/64" scale diecast vehicles (this is a relative concept seeing the matchbox/ hotwheels scaling system) I started buying both used Lego and off brand blocks set up my main street village for ground up builds based on real buildings but squeeze scaled to fit a limited space while retaining a good photographic look. The same thing of sorts is going with hotwheels collectors when they get free box's an create a collection that for most will be out of reach. This part of the social media growth and a way of marketing products. It gives in some ways an unreal look of real life of collecting anything. In the end, it takes a lot of money,time, and space to do a large collection shown on these channels. For many, it is an unrealistic goal. My thoughts.
Interesting, thought-provoking content, as usual! May I suggest, though, that you ditch the background music? It's distracting. I want to focus on your ideas, not the music.
I prefer to watch channels that review Lego MOCs or sets from 1980s or 1990s. I also find that channels that talk about Lego old Technic sets and MOCs are really lacking, because that's the theme i am a big fan of.
Those sets from the 1980s and 1990s were fantastic...at least when I was a kid. Now, I tend to like the modern pieces and options for cool builds they introduce.
I hear what you are saying. I think Lego is going about multiple things wrong. I like my instructions but do not need a fancy box. Why not ditch the instructions for the fancy box at retail and keep plain copies with instruction books for a slight mark up. I do not need a glitzy box, but I do favor paper instructions. I hate the lag time, the colors are not right, the instructions seem more broken up, the app is not a great place to get your instructions. What happens when the whole app goes down during a holiday event...oops sorry EVERYONE...you have to wait to build your sets? I do not think you can ditch the instructions. I also feel Lego is pricing some of it's themes well out of range of the intended demographic...more so now then years prior. Star Wars is off the charts and Marvel is a close second. I could go on. Thanks for sharing your thoughts...all valid points.
Sometimes the LAN reviews miss the point of the product they're promoting, too, especially Advent calendars. If you're opening all 24 tabs at once, you'll have a different overall experience qnd possibly opinion since you miss the spacing between builds and minifigs. You're not just paying for the bricks, but a 24-day experience. There's a small TH-camr who builds each model from all the Advent calendars every day and posts a ranking as to which is the best. Those are more fun to watch in my opinion
lan is the same as game reviewers like IGN and stuff they’re never going to be overly critical they’ll lose the revenue from getting things early can’t stand it it’s pointless they don’t represent the normal fanbase and give no advice or anything to lego that helps the product
Well said. I have completely stopped watching LAN member reviews. They all seem to be the same, always super positive about everything and completely disconnected from the price/value.
I agree with you. I very rarely hear a LAN member talk about how overpriced a set is or say anything negative about the set. I’m going to guess that most have someone else build the sets for them. I couldn’t even be part of the program because I call it how I see it! Lego is about to price themselves out of the market.
I always talk about price but then get dismissed because I didn’t pay for it 😂 there’s no winning with people who make pre conceptions about you without even getting to know you.
Great review. I think I can say that you speak for a lot of us when it comes to this video. I think there are a lot of 'common' problems with these LAN channels: - Massive haul (technically it isn't a haul if you receive these sets for free and the are delivered on your doorstep) videos of new sets, before they are even available to the public; - €500 sets being reviewed and talked about as if they are a steal; - Lackluster, flat or overly positive reviews for mediocre sets; - LAN-members pretending to be longtime fans of certain IP's (Harry Potter, LOTR, Star Wars,...) to attract a certain fandom and then misnaming characters when their name is literally on the box or being unable to reference the source material in a correct way. You quickly realise that they don't put a lot of effort in these videos and just rehash the same things over and over again, while the real passionate channels are being sidelined. I really hope something will change in the LAN-program.
If Lego worries about the environment, they could go back to when you had multiple pieces added per step of the instructions, and reduce the number of pages. It's silly how each step adds one or two pieces most of the time.
Yeah, that's a common observation we've seen. If Lego wants to reduce the cost of instructions, just add more pieces per step, especially in the 18+ sets.
I agree with much of these critiques. Many of the "reviews" (if you can call them that) of the sets by LAN members are cringe and their comments shouldn't be trusted. However, one caveat I would add is that these LAN members have video of these sets and often show the building of the set from multiple angles and you see it in scale with a person. Just the videos of the reviews showcasing many of the different parts is very helpful for getting an idea about a set. The stock photos and 3D render of the sets on the Lego website are often....lacking. There's usually only 5 pictures at most and often don't show everything. For example, I remember the Snow White's Cottage set a little while back. The stock pictures never showed that it was an open back. It took watching a video from a LAN member to see exactly what the set looked like from behind (all the rear shots on the Lego website were zoomed in on the details). I personally don't like the open back of sets like that, so I knew that if I purchased it, I'd need to moc a back for it (thankfully someone made one before I bought it and put the plans up on rebrickable). So, while yes there are a lot of problems with the LAN program, they do help to get a better visual on what the set looks like. This is particularly true of the scale of the sets (the boxes always make sets look way bigger than they actually are) and seeing it from all sides.
I wonder, too, to what extent the lure of the LAN stifles discussion of the other brands. How often do LAN members discuss and review Cobi, Cada, Pantasy, FunWhole, BlueBrixx, etc.? Does Lego even allow them to cover the competition once they've signed the paperwork? I wouldn't want a world where TH-cam channels about tools only discussed the free DeWalt products they got from DeWalt or guitar channels only hyped free Fender products from Fender. But that's basically the situation with the LAN channels and Lego. I do see, though, that the some of the other brick brands send free sets out to smaller channels quite frequently, trying to play Lego's PR game, for better or worse.
It's already being kept out of my RLUG, it's not appreciated if you discuss it online and you can only display your builds at public events if you use 100% LEGO. It's a bit highschool tbh, it doesn't matter what you build, it matters what you build with. And this seems to be driven from LEGO down to the LUG to keep the official recognition.
@@patrickschellen737 That's a shame. I wouldn't want anything to do with that. It does seem quite juvenile and cliquish. I like building, and if a competitor has a better product for less money, I'll gladly spend my time and money there. Lego exclusivity often comes across as misguided at best, weird and cultlike at worst.
JangBricks is the only guy I go to when it comes to any Lego review. One of the very few Lego channels that are truly honest and that can relate to when it comes to buying Lego sets.
He is great. And he actually values a set in multiple ways. Build wise but also and much more important, is it fun. And in particular is it fun for the group it is aimed at. Especially the smaller sets he does awesome reviews. I can't think of a better reviewer for Lego than him. And he pays for all his sets.
The day he sells out to sponsors is the day pigs fly
Jang blows the LAN channels out of the water. He's independent of Lego, and he clearly loves and knows Lego, has decades of experience with it, is a MOC builder, and uses his channels to support charity. He's not some 20-something who learned he can make a buck by getting in bed with Lego and playing the TH-cam game with manipulative thumbnails, shopping sprees, and breathless hype on behalf of Lego.
I hope he continues to be independent. His reviews are the only legitimate ones out there, bar none.
@@YetiGxhes done sponsored videos about sets from alt brands
The way LAN is current working, LAN should stand for “LEGO Advertisement Network”
wht do you mean the way it's currently working? for Lego that's literally the whole point of it
Land Area Network!
@@joshlyman7059 ha ha but as an ex LAN member i can tell you that executive from TLG told us that no, the lan is not a marketing plateforme "LOL"
@@classicforreal "should stand for" not "does stand for" or is that a joke i am not getting?
Ambassadors can be someone who promotes on behalf of a company or country or smthn so it makes sense, buttttt im not a huge fan of LAN. Im just saying the name isn’t necessarily wrong
I wholeheartedly agree with these points. I feel the whole LAN process is kind of broken. Most LAN review videos sound exactly the same. Thankfully there are still accounts like JangBricks who still buy the sets themselves and seem more genuine in their reviews. LAN should be used as a communication channel between fans and LEGO, but instead it's basically just a cheap marketing tool for LEGO.
I mean jang bricks is an even cheaper marking tool because he buys the sets and rarely gives a negative review. And when he does it's mostly because of his personal prreferncnce like his hated for optimization in Lego sets....
The thing I dislike most about LAN reviews is because they are tied to an embargo date and get a dossier on the set, LAN reviews feel so similar that most feel like clones of each other. When they all come out on the same day there’s no point in watching them all as they’re so repetitive. Whereas someone like Jang is refreshing because his just come out when he gets a chance to make it, so it stands alone.
I mean that's just journalism as a whole...
I watch because your reviews are honest, you're a family with a budget, and you offer thought-provoking talks around the psychology of this hobby.
Great video... but since now that I have been forwarded this video multiple times after I already giving it a "watch" and a "like," I feel like should give my two cents. I feel like most people in this comment section are not thinking critically and are easy to jump on the "why him/her not him/her because of this" bandwagon. Most really only look to a few people within LAN, and automatically label the whole. And even if by watching some of these LAN members...they don't watch every video from front to back. So.. for context..
Now I understand the frustration with how the community feels about the LEGO Ambassador Network from both the community aspect and I guess now as a LAN Member myself. I see how annoying it may feel as a viewer to wake up to a hundred posts of the same thing either on instagram or on TH-cam. I've pushed for years for many LAN members to do different things than simply "REVIEW" a set that LEGO sends them as they are all....or at least once were... creative in their video ideas. As I've demonstrated with my last 2 LAN videos, it can be done but that came at a cost. A piece of it.. is the convenience of doing a review video. They're EASY to do in comparison. If you have ton of sets.. and if you're trying to get the most out of them immediately... that's the easy road to travel. And if it's their job, well... time is money. Doing a unique video takes time... and unless it's your niche'... very hard to be successful in. It is a lot of "ask" when given a ton of sets. But, as many feel that given a set is advantage... yes and no. LAN members can't speak on leaks prior to embargo dates, where as anyone can hype up sets in their own content way earlier the LAN members do.. and that is an advantage on its own. JANG has demonstrated that you don't need the physical set to do a video on a set. Now as far as HONESTY... among the seasoned members that many mentioned in these videos... IT'S A 100% THERE... it's just people don't ACCEPT them as criticism. It seems that people want to see LOUD NEGATIVE EMOTIONS... rather than the mature tactful critiques made. I can see many LAN members state in their videos... that they: don't agree with pricing, don't like the set, don't understand why this was made, etc, but it's never pointed out by the overall community... instead... "LAN MEMBERS ARE NOT HONEST BECAUSE THEY GET IT FOR FREE!" Does it affect their opinions... I feel like it can, but LAN Members like Tiago, Sarah, and Alex Nunez among others... no.. they are very critical on sets and they hardly get that credit. And to continue on that notion of getting it for free. Many, and now... to include myself... give these LAN sets away to the community. Beyond the Brick is the perfect example of that. They give almost all there sets away. I've seen Jeansversion and Alex Nunez do the same. Now although I made it obvious and public on one of my videos.. doesn't mean that others need to do the same. Many of us simply do a good deed and don't want to gain clout over it. Many LAN members to include myself... reject or don't want the set being sent our way, and don't receive them. It's not about getting FREE LEGO for many of us. For myself, it eliminates the red tape and vetting LEGO has when collaboration opportunities arise or access to LEGO themselves. There are many LAN members who are vocal to LEGO... now I will agree.. there are many that are not when it comes to providing feedback to LEGO from the community from a ground level. And I can't honestly say... that they listen every time.. but what I can say.. is that LEGO does pay attention when enough of a topic is being said. And a lot of times... decisions that designers cannot control. Last... I will say... to address some of the comments written. There are definitely favorites in the program by LEGO in appearance... but that's a different conversation for another day. And if you've work for or with the corporate world... this shouldn't be a surprise.
So I want to conclude by saying that there was a time where being in LAN was not a bad thing in the community... it was celebrated and respected. It sucks that some of my friends got kicked from the program (Ryan and Holly), and I 100% HAVE EMPATHY on how it feels to be LET GO from the LEGO Group. But that doesn't mean that everyone else in the program simply SUCK based on the fact... that they're in the program. All of them see the criticism made about the program by the community.... and are trying to navigate the best they can to appease both parties. It's simply... not an easy task that I know weighs heavily on all of them... to include myself. Imagine the trolls and negative comments already received... now amplify that now simply because they're in LAN. Most weren't given this opportunity and had to work to get into the program. Why bash them for achieving personal goals in wanting to build a relationship with a company that we all love? And I'm not saying to not hold LAN members accountable... but at least.. be respectful. They are AFOLS just like the rest of the community.
Great comment Shy. I admire how you always keep it respectful even if you don’t fully agree with someone, we need more of this.
Well said. 👏
This comment encapsulates my thoughts 100%. I’ll also add:
A) you don’t have to be a MOC builder to appreciate sets. Plenty of set builders in the community and I value their opinions and/or content.
B) The notion that getting something for free dilutes the value of an opinion is wrong. Plenty of work goes on behind the scenes that we don’t see. As Shy said, time is money.
To me the takeaway is: if you don’t like the way any LEGO creator makes content, just don’t follow them. Personally, half of my content is for people outside of the LEGO community, so even though it may not be news or exciting to you, others really like and appreciate it.
Great perspective!
I appreciate your perspective. The sad truth is there is always a toxic part of every fandom and there will always be some content creator ready to promote and exploit that for views (i.e. money). Negativity drives engagement, unfortunately. And as a result, the LAN folks are an easy target for a number of reasons. Sorry. It sucks. That said, I don't think that's the case with this particular video but it's getting a little black/white and simplistic in the comments.
I love your channel - honest and well thought out content. I unsubscribed a huge Lego channel because I was tired of seeing the mega Lego shopping hauls and all the free products. I like smaller ‘real’ content creators - they’re doing it for the joy, not the freebies!
Hey everybody (insert name) here
The shopping haul videos can get really tiring, especially when it's in your face. Like yeah a bunch of us spend way too much on LEGO and anybody can take one look at just a bit of our collections and add up the cost, but there's something weird about posting every single trip you take to the LEGO Store and having the thumbnails be something like "$8,000 LEGO HUAL!" plastered over a photo of a dozen yellow bags. Like great, you spent several times more on LEGO in one day than most people make in a month if they're lucky.
Excellent analysis as always. I find many TH-cam Lego influencers/informal paid marketers to be extremely out of touch with everyone else. I cringe at the sight of any videos bragging about their $$$$ Lego haul when many kids might not be able even to afford a basic Lego set. Lego has never been about how much money on spent but rather the building experience and creativity generated from even the smallest sets.
Out of touch yeah, like sure I'd get a free Venator and drool over the fig and go fuming like a totally insane person when a small set is brought with that fig? Most people get a Venator because they think the build is awesome, because it is a great display piece. Who pays hundreds of dollars/euros on a set just to get that fig?
@@dgray3771 don’t get mad some people can afford to do that. I agree with some of the stuff he’s saying up here but if you have the money to buy it, you have the money to buy it the people that I look at get some stuff for free and already got tens and thousands of sets. I don’t know if y’all are talking about that same person but there’s no need to be so damn envious of him, when his whole damn house is full of Lego and obviously it is obvious that he loves Lego. Damn, I would hate to put my stuff up here because you all would be saying the same shit right now I believe I’m one person that probably has every single set from 1975 until to now because I’m 60 years old, but I choose not to broadcast my stuff because of theft. It would be very easy for me to be a LAN. But I have seen so many people hate because somebody is and I honestly don’t think that the guy that you all are probably talking about takes the hard about the free stuff he gets because he’s already somewhat of a damn billionaire. I don’t think he has an issue and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with people that do these hauls they’re spending their money. I’m honestly happy to say that I have never filmed. None of my stuff or became an influencer. I would hate to see what the hell you all would have to say about me get over the envious bullshit. I have nothing against Lego. Everybody has a choice whether to buy or not to buy and if they choose to send people free stuff then that’s on them, you have nothing to do with it.
@@michellewhitley8668 There is no envy. I got like 5000 dollars worth of TF figures. Own almost the entire GI Joe classified line including army building the troopers. I got about 20.000 worth of Lego. Trust me it's not from a point of envy. But if I was at the store and a set was there that I want and it's the last one. And a kid was eying it with his parents wanting it too. I'd let him have it. I hate how some people are. Greedy as f. And just Scrooge incarnate. I also spread my buys if I want to get multiple of an item so I don't clear out. Give other people a chance too.
Maybe it is because I grew up poor and had to work my way up in life. But Lego should be for kids first but especially fun be it a small or big set does not matter. And how collecting is treated these days it is more about how much a set is worth than if it is fun.
The single Tie fighter set for example. It got so much hate why, cause it is smaller and looks more toy ish than the bigger previous one. But it is very sturdy a great kids toy and it fits neatly with most series that came out the last few years. It really is a great set. But nope haven't seen a review that isn't bashing it for that.
I'm just kinda done with the reviewers. For this and plenty other reasons mentioned.
And to sum it up, it's just disappointing that these people are the cornerstone of the community. People that others look at for advice. And that has nothing to do with envy.
I disagree. You eat well, right? so many kids do not. But you do not take half of every meal you have and give it to someone else. It is ok for them to get sets for free. But it is also ok for us to say we don;t trust their opinions are not influenced by desire to get more sets free (and ahead of time)
This commont is extremely out of touch... because if you say is true then the whole LAN community and Lego is in breach of US law making them all crimals as they are not disclosing getting paid for their vidfeos.... Do you have any evidence of this? I mean I can't think of a single Lego era that didn't have pictures of a whole range of Lego on the box... And I highly doudt that given the cheapest Lego sets are cheaper then any meal you can get at a restraint and thats on launch and of sale... Then why is Classic one of the smallest themes then and has been for a while?
Great topic and video!
One major problem is the inconsistency in LAN's policies. For example, one of my favorite youtubers was removed from LAN cause she lended a set to her friend to review. Meanwhile, another youtuber who is in LAN is freely allowing her husband to review sets on his own channel, which isn't even a part of LAN. She is in LAN and gets these sets to review and has fans that want her to review them and isn't reviewing them at all and just gives them to her husband. This double standard is so frustrating and confusing.
The selection of youtubers who get sets also seems flawed. For example, LAN has been sending Star Wars sets to a youtuber who specializes in LEGO Harry Potter and knows nothing about Star Wars. At the same time, they are ignoring the biggest Star Wars LEGO channel. So many new people that don't have a community or anything are also joining in.
What's worst is that many of these youtubers receive free sets and then give overly positive reviews, even when the sets aren't as good as they claim just to keep getting free LEGO. People still go and rely on Jang and MandR that are not even in LAN.
When fans express concerns about sets, minifigures, or other aspects of the products, LAN members often fail to communicate these issues to LEGO if they don’t personally see a problem. This selective feedback process means that the voices of regular fans are not being heard.
Additionally, when it comes to leaks, LAN members pass the information along to their friends, making this exclusive circle of insiders. And I know this as a fact. Actual fans and community members who aren’t connected to these circles are left out of the loop. This has some pretty big financial advantages, you know x figure is coming and you can sell your old expensive one etc.
What kills me is that Danibob has been selling her LAN sets on Mercari and LAN didn’t punish her like they did some other LAN members who made honest mistakes.
I'm a big process person, and unevenly applied rules really bother me. I know some LAN members are getting sets in themes that they generally "specialize" in, but they do get sets they don't really care all that much about (the Avatar sets come to mind).
Don’t take it as the gospel truth, but Bricksie mentioned in one of his videos that Lego allows them pick or pass on certain kits (Sonic, Friends, etc.) to review.
@@EdwardSingleterrythat’s correct!
@@EdwardSingleterrybricksie has also broke rules and is still with LAN and he don’t engage with people, never responds to comments or questions.
They definitely need more honest reviewers out there. It's hard to take their opinions at face value, when they get these free expensive stuff.
When you're more honest about Lego, you have to fear getting sued. This is not even a joke they try everything to mess with you
Look up Tiago Catarino he reviews the sets and gives his honest opinion. Some times it’s not favorable to the set. He has a lot of insight since he was a Lego Designer.
I review Lego that I buy myself!
The cost is relative. Look at this: "ZEGNA Men's Stretch Denim City Fit Jeans $750.00" There are plain cotton blue jeans that cost more than the Lego Millennium Falcon. People who have the money for things like this aren't hurting for anything, so for them buying a $500 Lego set is effectively getting for free/for less than the cost of what they pay for jeans (you know, the kind of people so out of touch they think a banana from the grocery costs $15). Would you want their opinion on a Lego set?
Contrariwise, you have people who need to save for months or in some cases years to buy a big Lego set. Would you want their opinion, given how dearly it came? But, honestly, anyone with enough disposable income for a $500 Lego set isn't hurting at all for money.
@@DatBlockSG No because Lego like most companies like feedback especly negative ones... Like who has ever been sued and llst by and to lego for having negative feedback?
"This set was sent to me by Lego, but all options are my own" As soon as i hear that line i immediately tune out. Jang is the only Lego reviewer i subscribe to. When someone is getting all the sets for free, being flown out to see what's coming out months in advance i don't really buy that they can be unbiased.
As an owner of a small Lego TH-cam channel I really appreciate this video. Not only the things you said but this video put the wind back in my sails and gave me a lot of motivation to keep going and keep making videos/content Ty
It really irks me when channels go from primarily city building to only LAN reviews and shopping vlogs. It like if someone set up a channel to show us how they are recklessly spending their lottery winnings. Whats worse is when they devolve into travel vlog channels with all of the special LAN event invitations, visiting every LEGO store on the way.
Those haul videos are really terrible. They pander to people's base, self-destructive instincts in order to turn a buck. Pretty shameful, really.
Hmmmm. Sounds like a certain channel I know….hahahhaa
Yes, so many of the channels are just travel vlogs of boring lan events, movie premieres, and videos looking for minifigs to sell on whatnot. It's gotten so repetitive and boring.
@@SO-ym3zs I mean you can say the same thing to all of media or really for all the different industries... Like what is wrong with making a video for entertantment anyway?
I mean that all channels that review things... as it's really hard to review something if it's the same thing...
I also like Stud-Lord’s channel. He is independent, has a great voice, is very detailed and honest.
I'm with you. I have only recently gotten into Lego, inspired by how complex and creative the sets have become in recent times, and when I started looking for TH-camrs to follow I found the ones who got the free sets to be a bit unpleasant. I couldn't exactly pin down how, but their content just felt facile and like they'd lost touch with the average fan. It's the small channels who are trying to do fun unique stuff, or really show off their originality and creativity with MOC and diorama builds that have appealed to me.
If youre looking for honest and unsponsored reviews you might wanna give Jangbricks review channel a shot!
Very good points. The impression I get with the LAN program is it is mainly an inexpensive marketing program for LEGO to build hype and FOMO around initial releases. That isn’t to say that is bad. However as you say if the LAN members were encouraged (financially?) to bring back customer feedback that would be a good complement. Part of this may come down to the approach LEGO takes in pumping new sets to the LAN. There could be a category of member that was only required to create MOC’s and receive a discount on bulk bricks in exchange. The motivation needs to match the desired result.
Have you seen Shy's first LAN video? I think he's the first one to do it right. It did not feel like a REVIEW Video and he got the LEGO Community involved by giving LEGO the community perspective. He even gave the sail barge away. Maybe this is the way.
I've enjoyed every Shy video I've watched, and I was happy he's now in the LAN. His perspective tends to be unique and I'll have to check out his new content. It's so cool he gave the set away!
As a Jangbricks loyalist,I agree. Unsponsored reviews are better for us viewers imo
Reveiw copies don't make a video sponsored and is common in Jornolism as a whole.... only when cash changes hands does it make it sponsored...
That's incredibly incorrect@GreenBlueWalkthrough
JangBricks has excellent reviews (and MOCs) and has a clear disclaimer upfront that he buys sets himself. I'm limiting my TH-cam Lego AFOL channels to you guys, Jang, BrickTsar, and Bricks and Giggles (latter two focus more on vintage) -- the only LAN TH-camr I enjoy is Alex Nunes -- his city and honest reviews are reliable.
Jedi Bricks takes a fresh approach to Lego videos, and worth viewing.
@BrickWatcherHolly is great. She used to be in LAN as well. I’m glad she moved on as they(LAN) didn’t treat her to well after a while.
cant stand the haul videos with the thumbnail of a shocked face next to thousands of dollars, surrounded by the big lego bags...it works for clicks.. but its not really the spirit of lego...
It's the spirit of greed and consumerism, which is what those channels are really about: raking in the money by getting the clicks.
I agree.
How is it not in the sprit of Lego exactly? Like I can't think of an era of Lego that didn't do that in it's ads, magizines and on the boxs, maneuls of sets... besides they are fun to watch as you get to live though them which is an insanely popular genre of content since forever....
@@GreenBlueWalkthrough They advertised their other products, as any company would do, but videos of social media influencers sponsored by Lego showing off thousands of dollars of product they bought in order to generate income through TH-cam? There was never anything like that. That's a completely modern phenomenon without parallel in their old ads or catalogues.
Either way, those videos are in terrible taste, playing on or exhibiting people's worst motives: greed, jealousy, consumerism, and braggadocio. And they have nothing to do with what Lego is actually about--or actually used to be about: building and creativity.
@GreenBlueWalkthrough as an influencer supported by Lego, their objectivity to be impartial in the reviews is questionable. A lot of viewers will make informed decisions on whether they buy a particular set from TH-cam videos as they are deemed a trusted source material for doing so.
I miss Kevin. Things went downhill after he left - I mean was let get.
As older collector, I take the influencer reviews with a grain of salt. Recently, in one of the more popular TH-cam channels, the reviewer punted regarding the price of the UCS sail barge. Part of any real review should consider price smh.
How about reviewers that simply take the sets, put it together but do not use the stickers with the set. How can you review the set without using the stickers that are an essential part of the set? If you review, review the whole product, price, build, fun factor & all the parts that includes stickers of the set.
I think it is completly fine to leave the price open for the viewer to decide on. It should of course be said how much the set retails for, but in the end the review should show you, what the product contains and what you can do with it. Wether or not it is worth the price is up to anyone. What good is it gonna do if someone else says "this is priced too high" or "this is priced good" when you don't know about their economic situation.
Someone who makes 7k a month will have a completly different perception of what is expensive than someone who makes 2k a month. It is a very much relative thing really, I think.
@@AClassicBrick Getting "value" for what it costs is definitely a argument to make on any item. Looking at how beautiful the item is what you can do with it and how it compares to other similar products both in quality and design. Everyone knows what 1 dollar is worth or 1 euro. So comparing it that way is never bad.
The biggest problem I have with price comparison is this and it is relatively simple, but rich folks hate to hear this.
When you for example compare the UCS ATAT with the regular 75288 ATAT. You lose me. Because the item is under 200 bucks while the UCS is 800 ish. I got real collectors items for different brands. And would never ever compare a toy with a collectors item. It's like saying someone should buy a Ferrari instead of the matchbox version. But less extreme.
It is unfair to people who can't ever afford it and to people who simply do not have space for such a huge item. Heck I got trouble fitting my stuff in my place. And I got plenty space compared to some people.
If you get value for your money in terms of brick totals and how well an item is made is good enough. Fitting in items when it comes to scale. That's fair. Is it screen accurate to a degree. That's fair. But to gush over extremely pricey items and starting to compare that with a kids toy that isn't fair. And I heard it when people say "the UCS is so much better". Yeah you almost buy a car for that... It better be. But don't rub it in.
Most people are lucky to get 2 or 3 battle packs. They don't have to be rubbed in that you got 50 and look how awesome it is to have this army. "You can do that too!"...No I got bills... It really is a disconnect on that part where these people who already got free stuff and on top of that infinite money to fuel their hobby.
Now I sit in the middle, I got a good job. But I know plenty of people who really are tight and have to pick 1 or 2 sets a year to buy. But I feel these sharks who got infinite money are too disconnected with reality for most people. Most people cannot waste 500 bucks a month on Lego. But they don't understand.
@@AClassicBricki think this is a dangerous way of thinking. Yes someone with 7k/month more likely buys a expensive set as someone with half of that. BUT that’s not the point. Reviewers should still do research on pricing especially on comparable older or recent sets. Like for example the new UCS Jabbas Sail Barge: you could get the UCS Razor Crest for that money and the set is objectively way better. If you do your research you’d come up with a 350€ price at max for the Sail Barge. So saying this set is not worth the 500$ because of how other similar sets are priced or based on that you could get better sets for that money is a objective fact not a opinion and it’s Important for the viewers so they are able to sort this set in. Some just don’t have any idea about how LEGOs pricing across the products.
@@dgray3771the review should be really detailed to justify 800€ that’s most people’s f.u.ing RENT ! If you spend the money for your rent on a LEGO set then it should really be the greatest shit ever without any flaws. This is why I really think those sponsored reviews and some fan reviews are just looking at it from a wrong angle. You should always and most forward look at it money wise. What is 800€? How much is that, what can you buy with that kind of money? Then you can start looking at the set. Hobby’s can go too far. You should ALWAYS relate it and compare to real life. If you buy a plastic model for 800€ without careful consideration you lost control
Something tells me this is about to be your most watched video. 😅 Kudos for being brave enough to post this, because ... yeah.
My biggest complaint is a LAN member trying to review a specific IP set when they don't know the first thing about that IP. One chick was sent Rivendell, and she didn't know jack about LOTR. How TF can you properly review that if you don't know the references? All you can say is, "Super fun build. Awesome techniques. It's so pretty!" 🙄 A proper review can only be done by someone who knows the subject matter. And this goes back to paying for it. Anyone willing to shell out $500 is almost certainly going to be a LOTR fan and have a clue.
There are 3 LAN members I like a lot, mostly for just coming across as genuinely nice people who know what they're talking about. But most others I find highly irritating. Some are downright loathsome to me.
Like everyone else has said, I'm also a Jang fan. While I'm at it, shout out to Stud Lord and Brick Sculpt, too. And Josh Builds Stuff is criminally undersubbed. The dude is hilarious.
Those are all really good channels (and I especially agree about Josh Builds Stuff). It's hard to watch reviews if people don't know much about the subject matter. If we ever do that, it's due to a modular building being released in another theme (Marvels) and we focus on the modular component.
@@buildingtogether4171 Yeah this video had me bounce because you hace no idea how modern jornlism works or even what a influncer is... Like how hard is it to do reseach?
Don’t trust LAN members who only upload videos reviewing the free sets they get. Some of them can’t even be bothered to buy any other sets/bricks themselves and it’s so obvious where there intentions are.
LAN is an advertising program, nothing more. All hail King Jang.
What’s fascinating about the perception of it being an ad program, it operates SO inefficiently as such. Frustratingly so if you’re on the inside and care at all.
@@MandRproductions Does it operate inefficiently? From the outside it looks like minimal expenditure for regular online product blitzes. What's different about the reality?
@@MandRproductions especially when TLG told us from the inside that its not an Ad program and that all other RFLM blindly accept that :p
@@trev3971 Because it's cheaper to not give out sets and just buy opions... aka make ads.... Like it's much cheaper to buy a profesnal influncers optuion then send a set to press....
I saw a TH-camr talk about why she isn’t in LAN now, even though because before she was getting free sets, she said she decided to quit it because she wasn’t allowed to be so honest and wasn’t allowed to use any alternative bricks such as MEGA on her social media. People don’t seem to remember but when I was a kid I had both MEGA and LEGO and they worked perfectly together and never broke- back then the only way to get girly colours was mega and the price was similar. There are some really fake LAN members always happy with everything LEGO produces and really the price on some sets, the design and the fact they have mini dolls actually is negative for many people but never them!
It's a shame brick building coverage is skewed so heavily towards Lego. The other brands produce some amazing stuff at better prices than Lego, so props to that TH-camr for doing the right thing and severing ties with Lego.
@@SO-ym3zsit’s because LEGO tries everything to kill off any competition. There is a reason legos legal department is bigger than legos design and production department. They even use very dirty tricks to throw over small businesses. For example they keep delaying the court hearing for so long until the small business gets bankrupt because of the legal fees and can’t pay their lawyer anymore. Then they show up to the process and destroy the defenseless company. Did that one multiple times now. They also warned the border patrols of potential fake LEGO so they actually confiscated the containers and destroyed it. The building brick toys inside were actually not interfering with any licensing or patent LEGO had. They were planned for charity so orphan kids can have toys for Christmas. LEGO didn’t want them to have not LEGO products and the border patrol believed them. LEGO can do a lot of scummy things with their money and horde of lawyers.
I think that the whole you can't be honest as a LAN member is a lie or they just had a bad liaison... As most LAN members express negative feedback in their videos if not make a negative review al togather...
@GreenBlueWalkthrough The problem is there's a clear conflict of interest that will necessarily make people question the integrity or honesty of LAN members. That's not to say they're all dishonest, but the question mark will always hang there as long they have a business relation with the company whose products they're discussing/promoting. As channels like Jang have shown, you can eliminate even the appearance of impropriety by not being sponsored and still making excellent, popular content.
Great video and happy to see it’s getting good views for you. Your content is always well thought out and reasoned. Keep going 👍🏼
Yep, you can really see this. All people talking in a positive way about Lego, even though the sets are getting worse and worse over the years.
The competition isn't sleeping. There are great other manufacturers out there. Over time people will realize this.
11:50 it’s interesting because it used to be every man for himself essentially. Now LEGO wants to be the kingmaker.
To your point that everyone in there grinding for so long and hard to get there… I beg to differ.
And the program is headed by a guy who makes fun of dedicated fans for buying the product. I could go all day loved the video, plus one subscriber and like for your count! :)
keep on doing what you do MandR, your analysis of SW sets in particular always drills into the areas and discussion points that the hardcore fans want to hear about. The LAN reviews of those sets, in comparison feel superficial, like they are just following a template to get a review done as quick as possible.
I’m glad someone finally spoke up
Thanks!
@@buildingtogether4171 I actually disagree with a lot of the points in this video
1. You cited the LAN as competition that keeps smaller channels from growing. I think this point doesnt make much sense, as compeition is always going to be there regardless. In your example of your medival village set breakdown video doing well, you said that because you had that 9 or so hour headstart you were able to get those views. But, if these guys werent tied to LAN, they would have posted these images earlier, and dominate smaller channels regardless as they will be bigger channels. I generally think that whether LAN exists or not, smaller channels would still have a very similar market as they do today.
2. LAN reviews as being "advertisement" or like in a sense not as real as their being provided by LEGO is an interesting point (this is not exactly what you said I am just summarizing what I think is generally being said). While I can see why that may be an issue, as many LAN creators may tend to bolster or uplift new sets in order to keep Lego sending them sets isn't a strong point for me personally. A lot of reviews I see do highlight when Lego sets are bad, or just not as good as others. Now this may be due to the certain genre of creators I watch (mainly a Ninjago guy), but for the most part I dont see really any bias coming from content creators when making videos. I personally think these reviews are insightful and help me decide whether or not I want to buy a set. I also think in general theres the difference between watching and listening, if one were to be watching I feel like you can get more of what you want out of a review than what is being said. One of the bigger reasons mech sets are just not for me, is because lots of little things fall off, and tend to be an annoyance. Which in a review for Cole's Titan Dragon Mech, Duckbricks was talking about this set highly (makes sense, that set was an endeavor in Lego Mechs), I noticed that lots of little pieces were falling off when interacted with the set, and I made the choice not to buy it. I feel like a person who's making that decision to spend money on a Lego set may spend the time watching the video, seeing if itsa good fit for them, rather than listening to what a LAN member might say.
3. In a sense, as a smaller channel myself, I've decided to deal with the compeition by playing in a field where there isnt much compeition. Everywhere you go, competition will exist. Its applicable to really everywhere in life. I feel like getting rid of LAN's access to these sets and information really does not change as much, as in the end your gonna always face compeition. You wont always have that market share.
4. The Lego Survey. I definitely think Lego could have used LAN to conduct that survey, but realisitically that survey was flawed within itself. The target for Lego products doesnt necessarily lie in people with Insiders accounts. Lego putting this survey there creates bias as its available to people who not only have an Insiders account, but also check it/use it regularly. That creates an undercoverage bias, as there are other people who buy Lego sets toothat arent big Lego fans, that might not care as much about instructions.
Those were just some of my thoughts on the video, hope they werent too messy! Would love to hear how you feel about these!
Jang is the #1 Lego channel and he refuses all freebies - pays for the lot and makes (publicly announced) decisions not to buy certain sets based on price.
I am subscribed to Jang and I am subscribed to you and to only one influencer. I find him somewhat unbelievable because he has such a glut of Lego sets they must be practically meaningless to him.
You know by the lose definition of influencer which is used in this video all 3 channels mentioned are that because they all have an audnce right? Also what? Every expert in any field needs to have a glut of expernce to be an expert... Like how can you believe Jang when he also has a ton of sets too?
I am not angry that Lego asked about removing directions. I am glad they got the feedback they needed. Sometimes we have to hear answers we don’t want to hear. Personally, I think removing paper instructions is foolish. I do not have any real feelings about LAN. It certainly sounds like the old system was better but Lego isn’t really making what I want anyway. I hope that they will circle back to smaller sets for Castle and create more train sets. Enjoy your videos and I do enjoy your take on what is going on.
7:31 “all they had to do was ask” - That is literally the point of a survey send it to a small sample to get some understanding. Asking is just asking. They could have no intent to actually remove the instructions. That is how product surveys work.
As a small content creator I really appreciate your call to action to support us! 😊 I always enjoy your thoughtful videos, keep up the great work!
I mean I'm have a much smaller sub count then he does and have gotten countless review copies in my 13 years of being a youtuber. And he is saying I'm part of a problem simple because he has zero idea how Journalism on TH-cam works... Kinda makes him a distasteful human being doesn't it?
Regards the first point - it depends on the content of the channel. If we subscribe to a person who creates cool mocs, and suddenly they change their scope to reviews and no more mocs, then maybe it is not worth to follow them anymore, but for other types like speed builds - I cannot see that the content would change much if some set would be sponsored by LEGO.
I have collected Lego from the mid 1980’s till now. Lego has gotten too focused on the sets and not building for fun. The whole point of Lego is to build it, destroy it and build again.
It’s fun to have sets that stay as sets, like a Lego city, but also fun to add your own creations to them. I really enjoyed the music shop that your did a little while ago. It was so well thought out, researched and very obviously, lovingly built.
I don’t like review videos, mostly. Unless I’m slightly interested in the set and want to see more of it. Usually, I either want a set or don’t. I don’t need an influencer to hype me up to go buy it.
Influencers also create a warped sense of reality. Most Lego collectors can’t and don’t go dump thousands of dollars a month in buying all the new sets. Kids and young adults (and sometimes us older adults too) get frustrated because why can’t we have all that as well? As you said, these influencers have put in the time and money to grow their channel to get to this point but they are a tiny few.
Anyway, great video and you’ve raised some excellent points as always.
I'm subbed to a bunch of LEGO influencer/ambassador channels for the heck of it. The funniest thing about them for me is how, every time there's a new set sent to them for review, ALL of them upload their videos about it at EXACTLY the same time. Like suddenly just 5-10 videos in a row in my subscription list on the same set. It's so weird.
It's by design. The embargo time/date is set up to encourage people to release their videos simultaneously, which also gooses the algorithm and helps create FOMO.
@@trev3971 No, It's to give the press an equal oprtunaty to be first otherwise those with fast turnaround who got the thing first would always get the first video which can be months in advance.... So an embargo makes for a much less stressful time for the press... Which to my knowledge influncers don't get such things just a deadline to get their ad out... Also for the company it allows for a targeted marketing push with the intent to flood headlines with your product... And views get to have an experience where they get to partake in the activity... Like this practice predates youtube by a long margine and has nothing to do with FOMO...
As a small channel myself, you're speaking my thoughts exactly and have given some good food for thought about what type of content we can make that is useful without needing access to new sets ahead of time. Cheers!
Great video mate. Us smaller channels need to stick together. I personally dont think there’s anything wrong with lan, i myself have applied to get in…but if you get in you need to put yourself in the shoes of the average working man who has to part with his hard earned money for these sets.
Just because a lan member gets it for free they should still ask the question is this set worth it’s retail price, a question not many want to answer
I mean he is demoizing sanyone who gets review copies though and that would honestly make me his devil even though my channel is smaller. Because I have gotten countless review copies like I really can't see any LAN member have gotten more review copies then me...
Interesting take and nice delivery.
I came here after your video was posted on the shadowLAN 😅
Well sometimes the fact you’re not held to a release day for info can work for you as you stated. I love your Chanel as I find it intelligent and interesting. I will pick a review of a set from your channel before most others because I trust your input and I don’t care if it is a couple weeks later. lol. Keep up the great work, I love the content and remember keep building together. lol. 👍
I like your interesting take on this subject. I‘m running a very small German channel myself for a couple of years now and I actually don’t care what LAN members are doing. In fact, I’m hardly following them, because I they will almost all publish something about the same sets all at once. That’s not really catching me. So I prefer reviews from left and right of the mainstream LAN. It just feels more authentic to me.
I really enjoy your channel. I'm over the only review channels. The ones that are part of the LAN. They seem so smug about it. The program does need to look at the way it currently works. I do understand from Lego that this is still a great way to advertise their sets. It's also a lot cheaper than other advertising for them. I know people in the LAN who do past on information to Lego from our community.
It definitely is cost-effective for Lego, but I agree that there is an interesting culture surrounding it. I'm glad you know of people in the LAN that are sharing info!
Lego ambassadors should be treated as Lego employees for tax purposes, as the sets they give to the ambassadors can have a significant value. It feels like Lego is walking a fine line of being too cheap to pay for advertising and not paying taxes for its operations.
In Finland you need to pay taxes of free Lego sets even if you aren't employee of TLG
If you go down that route soon you won't be able to buy your family member a Christmas gift without the government watching. Terrible idea
@@peterpolus5272 The difference is social media content generates revenue.
@@darrenchandler7538 that's only a good thing. When they get the money they pay taxes anyway
@@peterpolus5272 Which is exactly what I've just said...
IDGAF about LAN.
To me it’s LIP Service,
Lego Influencers Program Service.
I’m not subscribed to any of those people, and once I find out they’re in LIPS, I unsubscribe.
It’s just garbage.
I only care about the pieces themselves.
The pieces are what matter to me.
I build MOCs.
I like when you do these kinds of videos, social/psychological commentary. It’s good.
I like channels that teach building techniques and tips, like BrickSculpt.
IDGAF about a LIPS!
I’m glad people buy these junk sets, keep Lego in business, so I can get my pieces for my MOCs.
Just my view from an AHOL
(not a fan, I just habituate Lego).
Keep up the good work on these vids.
Subscribed! 👍
I mean where are you getting parts from that didn't come in a set? LIke even pick a brick only has parts from sets so you should care about new sets as they contain new parts....
@ I get a lot of parts from PAB, I might buy from Bricklink soon. I build medieval/fantasy MOCs for a Medieval Village based off the design of the Medieval Blacksmith. I’ve bought 10 of them - plan to buy more, I’ve got unlimited funds. There are a few other sets that I’ve bought multiple copies of because it made sense monetarily (price/piece for my MOCs). I’ve never bought a set because of a LIP service member.
I mailed them to be more generous with the insiders pts. They have this whole structure to squeeze every dollars (every companies in entertainment), like removing instructions from sets and other marketing strategies. They started removing cables and controllers from gaming consoles and no one said nothing.
One solution is they get the free set to review but have to donate it afterwards. Then you will see who the real LAN"S are. If lego want's to pay them they can pay them as an employee then as some others stated. I don't know if it says "not for resale" on all the boxes they get. Either way they can make thousands a month reselling in box / out of box if they are getting enough sets tax free. As far as paying attention to what they have to say I just take it with a grain of salt and then throw it away for the most part.
My main issue with the LAN is ethics and accountability: the LAN influencers may not be getting paid in cash, but they're essentially getting paid by Lego just the same: the Lego sets they get for free have a (high) retail dollar value. They often increase in value after retirement. Getting early sets and exclusive information, interviews, etc. from Lego all directly contribute to views, which in turn generates income for the influencer. So, how am I supposed to believe or trust a "reviewer" whose livelihood depends on staying in Lego's good graces, so they can keep getting all these things with economic value from Lego? I view these people as PR flacks for Lego. They're a step away from being employees.
I will comment knowing at least 5 peoooe well in this network, many of them are not that afraid to speak their mind on something they don’t like
I would agree that at least the largest of channels are basically employees.
@@KeepOnBrickingg How often do they do this versus someone who isn't beholden to Lego? How do we know to what degree, explicitly or subconsciously, they've been influenced by the company they're promoting?
Always coming out with great ideas for videos. Thanks for making this one it actually might be my favorite from you
I completely agree with every point made in this video. Thank you so much for making this!!
The point you made about people not watching smaller channel’s reviews because, why would they need to when they can watch LAN members reviews 2 weeks early is so true and it does absolutely suck.
The only solution to that I can think of is trying to do out reviews differently. Have something that makes them stand out from other reviews and make them unique. I have no idea what that could be. Maybe something silly like - if you don’t get the review done in under 5 minutes you have to do a funny forfeit or something? I have no idea, but the fact that we even have to try and think of stuff like that says enough!!
I mean it's been completely normal in Journalism since forever and the solution is just have a community that is your family and that want to see your video on the subject...
@ just because something’s normal doesn’t mean it’s good
@@ninjagonmore It is a net good though... The tubers get first dibs while not worrying about who might might first, the company gets a solid marketing push, and the viewers get to see a ton of viewpoints at once while getting an experience... Honestly the world would be worse off if Journalism did not work this way.
@ alright
it's all just to make people have FOMO, drive them to the Lego store. but yeah, LAN is basically the toy commercials during Saturday morning cartoons. i do like some of the youtubers, but only the ones w actual content, not just a review farm of sets they got for free
I like paper instructions, that's part of the whole building experience for me.
From what I've heard from LAN youtubers is some sets they just get sent, some they are offered to get and they can pick some sets they want. So you have to watch the Star Wars LAN member if you like SW or the Mario LAN member if you like Mario. You can tell the review isn't as upbeat if a LAN member doesn't get a set or theme, they don't like compared to a set they do like/want.
#1 on your list is why Jang has such a great reputation. Every set he reviews he buys himself, as he's not part of the LAN.
Yet he can probably rest assured that he will make the money back with his video about the set, so basicly he also will have them for free probably.
That is not to descredit him as a reviewer, he does great content and discusses his views on sets very well. Great stuff.
@@AClassicBrickI don't know. It seems that he is increasingly struggling financially, because in the end it comes down to views and clicks. And if paid influencers get sets weeks in advance and can put out their content immediately while independent reviewers like Jang habe to wait for the official set release (to buy it in stores), build it and film a review - most of the set's buzz is already over.
I started watching bricksie because he was building a city. Then it turned into blogs, reviews getting 'hauls'. Plus he has square mountains
Great video, mate. Certainly makes a lot of sense. Bricksie has demonstrated a lot of honesty with his reviews. He does reflect on the value, often discussing price per piece and the amount of stickers vs printed elements, etc. He also does buy a lot of sets himself, so there is a balance of freebies and purchases.
Very thoughtfully put forth and really appreciate the ending commentary. Thanks!
I have recieved a few sets from LEGO to review, writing for a LEGO Blog that is part of the LAN. When I do these reviews, I always try to ask myself the question "would I have bought this", I think it helps to get a better picture on how I feel towards the set. I also always try my best to discuss all aspects of the set and consider my opinion "untainted" by the "free" sets. I can't talk for every LAN reviewer out there, but I think many of them are genuinely excited about these sets and little would change, would they have to buy the sets, except for that they just simply wouldn't review certain sets they don't care for enough to buy them. I think it also depends on how affluent they are/wether or not they know a set is gonna make its money back with the review the influencer does on it.
I don't want to say that recieving a set for free doesn't influence the opinion on it in any way, hell my first review of a "free" set was heavily tainted I think by my disbelief of the fact LEGO even sent me a free set to begin with. I was lucky back then that I didn't forget in my excitement to name the main problems with it and the internet at the time seemed to agree with me that the set was awesome and most people even agreed it wasn't overpriced but boy oh boy could that have gone worse. But afterwards I realised what happened there and since then I do put a lot more thought into presenting the sets as honest as I possibly can.
Great video I'm glad I found you keep up the good work!
Thanks!
I've always theorized the anonymous leaks are a nudge-nudge, wink-wink situation, where Lego knows full well they're going to happen, or perhaps even participates, in order to build hype and excitement among buyers. And then, their slaps on the wrist against TH-camrs in public are just to save face and keep up the charade.
I think that's exactly what's going on. They could have easily caught the leakers by giving out "fake" leaks to different people (like Tyrion did in GoT) to find the leaker. It's how most spies are discovered and is quite effective at rooting them out. By "leaking" info, it builds massive hype for what's coming. Now, the pictures of sets coming out a day or 2 before an official reveal is probably not what Lego wants, but the leaked descriptions and pics coming out a couple months beforehand are almost assuredly allowed by Lego.
such a good point as a high end collector and i’m very close with chris from duck bricks and he is the most genuine nice kid and can tell in his videos but i agree with you on much of this and really solid video. thanks as always and we appreciate you my friend - Keep on Bricking
Chris clearly has a genuine love for Lego. But even if he wasn't in LAN, the fact that his family is incredibly wealthy means there's still a disconnect with the average consumer re: price.
@@trev3971 why do you feel there’s a disconnect I’m not rich and I have almost the same stuff. He has no disconnect there this man loves Lego as much as I do I’m a fanatic about it but I’m not a panel channel or anything. One thing I do do though is constantly keep in touch with Lego about everything that I buy and whether or not I’d like it and how I tell people in the store about it that I go to basically everybody here knows who I am in San Antonio in the stores, but I really do appreciate that bricks and would love to meet him one day. We have a lot in common.
@@michellewhitley8668 You're not rich but you have 8,000 Lego sets?
@@trev3971 i’m 60 I’ve been collecting since 1975. My dad was stationed over in Germany so that’s when my collection started when I was 11 years old it became such a hobby all the way up to today. I’m retired military now, so I can just about afford it, it has always relieved a lot of stress because I have PTSD, but no by far I am not rich it is just a great hobby that I have. Three rooms full.
@@trev3971 i’ve been collecting since 1975 when my dad brought us over to Germany when he was in the army. I am 60 years old now retired military and have three rooms full, so yes it’s about as much as duck bricks. I don’t collect everything but it’s enough, but no I am not rich I mean think about it collecting since 11 years old and I’m 60 now yeah you’d have a lot of sets too. Lol I don’t sell anything and don’t list anything. I am not into that at all. I buy a lot one item I had missed out on was the orange 911 Porsche I remember when it was like 200 something dollars I had to check out 900 to get it from bricks and mini figures and right there it was sealed and I opened it up and everybody freaked out like what it was sealed. The price is going to go down. I said I’m going home to build this, I keep my instructions in my boxes but I’ve never sold anything I treasure all of that stuff my nephew says when he comes to my house is Lego land. He’s a very lucky little boy because he’s gonna end up with it.
I’ve noticed this with David from solid brix, I subscribed to his channel years ago for the massive mocs he builds but while watching this video I realized that I don’t remember a moc video of his coming out in a long time. You have my sub good sir
Because his Mocs are massive so they take time... Also
Plugging myself here, I’m a small Lego TH-camr! 🙋♀️ really appreciated the take on the LAN program, you have great points! Subbed!
I’ve noticed how LAN influencers all seem to use the exact same descriptions on their videos. They show little creativity and always push the same information and talking points.
This seems common across different hobbies/interests on TH-cam, where the channels all ape each other in a desperate bid to please the almighty algorithm. If one video gets a lot of views, the competitors try to copy everything about it, and soon all the channels sound like idiotic clones of each other as they all scramble for a buck. Of course, with the LAN, you also have to wonder how much of the talking points are being fed to the channels directly from Lego's press kits.
@@SO-ym3zs
Yeah, I’m referring to specific the talking points that are fed to them by Lego.
The ambassador in the abbreviation LAN is no longer there to give feedback.
LAN is just a cheap way for LEGO to advertise.
It costs Lego a fraction of a $500 set to get tens of thousands of views. There is no cheaper way to advertise your products.
Most LAN members are afraid to speak critically about the sets for fear of being kicked out of the program.
I have stopped watching the content of LAN influencers because of two reasons. 1. The disconnect, which you explained very well. 2. Since they all smbasadors get more or less the same sets and have the same embargo dates, they end up posting simultaneously and once you see a review, I learned that you don't need to waste time watching another one of the same set.
5:10 Lesser talked about examples of the rando running plastic change is the sets that used dark pearl gold suddenly having light pearl gold, andnot even updating the box art. This has led to"value speculators" into erroneously viewing the running change as a "rare misprint" on occasion and has made certain parts EXTREMELY expensive since around lockdown time.
Also though the color stayed the same, lime green pieces became bizarrely brittle, a phenomenon that would then spread to the reddish brown and dark red bricks overtime.
Okay you kind of nailed it when you called this video you ranting. I do subscribe but am not that familiar with your channel. I have to be honest, the entire video read to me:
1. You wish Lego would give you as much attention as they do the bigger influencer’s
2. You need your channel to do well so you don’t have to spend money on Lego like the rest of us do (taking from our family budgets)
3. We should spend our precious time watching being philosophic instead of watching the content we enjoy.
I don’t mean to be hurtful but I really don’t see the point of your video beyond you saying it’s not fair. Even you said the other influencers worked hard to get to where they are. So, do the work and maybe you will get there too. I disagree that those in the network don’t have a pulse of what we like. I mean it’s a corporation, they were going to try to get away from printing instructions if they could.
Thanks for the comment and for watching!
I agree with your point that many of them have a pulse on what fans think. That's one reason why I made sure to note that it's very possible that Lego just doesn't listen when that feedback is passed along. However, it's also possible, due to the incentive structure of the LAN, that influencers won't be completely honest.
You also make a good point that we should watch the content we enjoy. While this video was more of a thought piece, we have plenty of other videos where we build various things (small and large) and have fun. I have noticed, interestingly, that many people gravitate toward opinion-based content, and we have plenty of opinions, it's worth making this kind of content.
I don't think it's hurtful to point any of that out, or even not seeing the point of the video! You did it respectfully and took time to type out your comment, which indicates you care about this at least a little bit.
I absolutely don't wish Lego would give us as much attention as others. If there's a spot in the video where I did that, let me know. Honestly, I've never applied to be a part of LAN, nor do I have any intention of doing so (we're not that big or significant). My argument boiled down to three problems, the first two have nothing to do with us as a channel (influencers disconnected from the product; information problems).
I intentionally deflected the third problem from being about one specific channel because I don't want it to be about us. However, knowing other people who run small channels, it affects us all (and there are hundreds of us). That's why I advocate for people to watch and subscribe to small channels in general (and specifically said, "It doesn't need to be ours.").
As far as I know, at no point did I say it wasn't fair. I actually think it is fair! Influencers have spent years (if not decade) honing their craft and developing their brand. They've earned it, both in terms of time and in terms of Lego granting them that benefit through the application process. Indeed, I intentionally kept the critique focused on Lego as a company and not the influencers themselves.
I have been following a few LAN channels over the past few months and thought that the LAN member was obligated to review and do a video of the sets that they get for free. I don't have a problem with them getting free Lego because they do buy a lot of Lego from the pick a brick/pab wall for their MOC projects so I've always viewed them getting these sets as a thank you from Lego. Review content isn't my favourite content though because it feels like an ad and I prefer to see them building and working on the MOCs. As for the cost of the sets they get - that isn't their fault because it's Lego that designs the sets and set the prices. I wouldn't watch a channel if all it was was reviews because that gets dull and is just a set of ads. As for the smaller channels, do something different - make your own MOCs, do Live Build with Mes, do tutorials on how to custom build, make your channel a theme that you like, etc...
I get it's tough being the smaller Lego influencer, but the ones I watch have been doing their Lego channel for years. IMO they've earned their spot, and now it's how many of them earn a living. TH-cam has changed the way people get their news, consume goods and even get movie reviews. I watch smaller channels too.
The problem isn't that they're popular or earn their living off their channel: it's that they often pose as objective sources of news or reviews when they need to curry favor with Lego and promote their products for their channel to function. If they're getting a bunch of free, early sets and exclusives from Lego in exchange for media coverage, the conflict of interest is obvious.
In many ways, TH-cam and social media in general have changed the way people get their info for the worse. There is little to no accountability or ethical standards. Anyone can say anything, and if they do it in an entertaining way, suddenly millions are parroting the same nonesense. Influencers have taken advertising into a super-sketchy realm, where a lot of people don't even realize they're being advertised to. Of course, product placement, sponsorships, etc. are hardly a new phenomenon. But the way it happens now online is really devious.
@SO-ym3zs My faves always state what sets are given to them. Rarely is there an issue with the sets, cause we're all Lego nuts. The usual issue, ironically, is the price of the set. I agree that influencers are GREAT advertising- that's how I, a 59 y/o, got into Lego. Lego is in business to make $, and their current strategy is working. I agree their original reason behind the Ambassador program has morphed, but, again, it is working. It's up to the adults in the room (we who shell out hundreds of dollars LOL) to sort out the authenticity of the review. Look, there's a channel for everyone, Your observations and feelings about Lego's business strategy is totally valid. I respect your opinion and look fwd to your upcoming videos. Subscribed 👍
I am not sure if we are thinking of one of the same person that basically converted their channel to review of free sets that LEGO send them only. I can tell you I very seldomly watch their channel now unless there is a set that I am on the fence and want to see more details. I originally started watching their channel because I want to learn interesting building techniques.
Completely agree. It made me decide to sell off my collection of sets worth tens of thousands of dollars. The prices have got insane and their reviews are dishonest. I buy other brands instead these days.
Really nicely put - thanks for articulating this!
Well i wanted to be small independent lego reviewer but after a while it feeled like it was pretty much pointlles to make reviews because youtube just suggest on front page bigger youtube channels reviews so i have maded decision to just make my own stuff from lego sets pieces and i have done this my whole life just sitting in desk for hours building my own stuff for fun and release video on my channel some times and i will some times make lego set review but rarely nowadays so i want to be different from all the current reviewers because very few are just creating their own mocs:)
Earned a sub. Fact stating, good job
I watch your channel because you are independent and talk about Lego topics I dont see anywhere else. You also keep in mind finances in your reviews which is very important.
Great feedback. I think you are saying exactly what most people are and have been thinking about when it comes to LAN. I think lego have lost there way and are only interested in one thing. The amounts of sets that are coming out each year after the covid years are insane and very expensive. Anyway, keep up the good work.
We turned your videos into a drinking game.... every time you say "in got" instead of "ing get" you have to take a drink. Keep up the good work. Love the channel.
I'll subscribe because of that medieval market village set behind you😂
Definitely, reviews from LAN tend to be the same. And, as you say, opinions are biased when the manufacturer gives you all free products (take them as a 5-10-15k payment from LEGO to advertise their products). They do not look for true and genuine opinions, and they even try to force you to define your business model in a way is convenient for LEGO. One day I may tell my brief but hard week within the LAN...
That's interesting - I've heard some inside accounts of LAN, but not too many.
It's not just Lego but corporate "networks" and "creator communities" in many industries that have transformed into marketing arms and little else. Corporations found that a $500.00 set could buy tens of thousands in marketing.
Yes. Lego is doing anything unique, but something seemingly every major company is doing. It does make sense in many ways: sending someone $500 of material in exchange for creating a video that will get tens of thousands of views has a logic to it.
Not a rant, you made a speech. New follower now. Love the part what you said about following new people. Well you'll find me interesting, I've been bricking for 33 years and I never spoke or share with the Lego community tell recently. Lego community always was and still is cringe. It sucks a few bad apples represents a community.
Cheers from a guy who tried to keep his LAN-sponsored honest and eventually got kicked out of LAN. I'm sure one had nothing to do with the other ;)
welcome to the LAN BAN Club Sariel :p
Hello, I have a couple questions about LAN just to understand more the marketing some of these influencers are doing. Is there any clause in a LAN contract that forces a so called influences to film themselves in a Lego store? to film themselves showing stuff they've actually bought? Just watched a Bricksie video where he rationalizes the price of that Minions banana car (75580) because the Minifigure's were great. The disconnect between the Lego community and the Brand/influencers is widening after every release.
Interesting topic.
I must say that the influencers fits the strategy of modern companies.
Lego is getting more popular. People watch influencers and this fits in the trend.
The popularity has also impacted the LAN.
There are now more RLUGs than 10 years ago and TLG can't keep in touch with all the RLUGs.
I think that the LAN would be still the right way to address feedback to TLG.
But then again, TLG can't keep in touch with all the RLUGs.
There's also a disconnect on what the LAN is for. It's not just influencers, or what's known as Recognized LEGO Fan Media. It's ostensibly a tool for LUGs and LOCs too, (user groups and online communities.) The term LAN has developed a negative connotation because of the points you brought up, but there are still groups out there with ambassadors who just interact with LEGO. We have access to benefit programs, but those programs are designed to help us build things for public events. As a LUG ambassador I agree with a lot of your concerns, and I share them. I feel the LAN is too heavily relying on RLFMs because it's free advertising. Why support a LUG that does an event for 100-500 people, or an ANE that does a convention for 5000 when you can just ship a few sets to a TH-camr that gets 100s of 1000s of views?
LEGO themselves have created this issue. The original idea of the Ambassadors was to bridge the gap between LEGO and fans and to enable dialogue.
I’ve been to many events, invited by LEGO. My first events included a lot of fans, a lot of LUG Members. The last event I attended, the launch of the Orient Express, was almost exclusively influencers, and not even LEGO influencers. And it felt like these people had received financial compensation to be there?
I have many friends who are in the process of joining the LAN and I have to question their motives.
Interesting. If Lego wants to use influencers, that's fine, but I really wish the ambassador side was separate. Go back to the roots of the program!
They probably just want free sets.
Unfortunately this isn't just a problem in Lego but almost every sector in product reviews. Take tech for example where almost every major youtuber is sponsored by the oem they are "reviewing". If its sponsored by the manufacturer, its an advertisement not a review, period
As a result of looking for building buildings for my hotwheels/ matchbox/ "1/64" scale diecast vehicles (this is a relative concept seeing the matchbox/ hotwheels scaling system) I started buying both used Lego and off brand blocks set up my main street village for ground up builds based on real buildings but squeeze scaled to fit a limited space while retaining a good photographic look.
The same thing of sorts is going with hotwheels collectors when they get free box's an create a collection that for most will be out of reach. This part of the social media growth and a way of marketing products. It gives in some ways an unreal look of real life of collecting anything. In the end, it takes a lot of money,time, and space to do a large collection shown on these channels. For many, it is an unrealistic goal.
My thoughts.
Interesting, thought-provoking content, as usual! May I suggest, though, that you ditch the background music? It's distracting. I want to focus on your ideas, not the music.
I prefer to watch channels that review Lego MOCs or sets from 1980s or 1990s. I also find that channels that talk about Lego old Technic sets and MOCs are really lacking, because that's the theme i am a big fan of.
Those sets from the 1980s and 1990s were fantastic...at least when I was a kid. Now, I tend to like the modern pieces and options for cool builds they introduce.
I hear what you are saying. I think Lego is going about multiple things wrong. I like my instructions but do not need a fancy box. Why not ditch the instructions for the fancy box at retail and keep plain copies with instruction books for a slight mark up. I do not need a glitzy box, but I do favor paper instructions. I hate the lag time, the colors are not right, the instructions seem more broken up, the app is not a great place to get your instructions. What happens when the whole app goes down during a holiday event...oops sorry EVERYONE...you have to wait to build your sets? I do not think you can ditch the instructions. I also feel Lego is pricing some of it's themes well out of range of the intended demographic...more so now then years prior. Star Wars is off the charts and Marvel is a close second. I could go on. Thanks for sharing your thoughts...all valid points.
Sometimes the LAN reviews miss the point of the product they're promoting, too, especially Advent calendars. If you're opening all 24 tabs at once, you'll have a different overall experience qnd possibly opinion since you miss the spacing between builds and minifigs. You're not just paying for the bricks, but a 24-day experience. There's a small TH-camr who builds each model from all the Advent calendars every day and posts a ranking as to which is the best. Those are more fun to watch in my opinion
lan is the same as game reviewers like IGN and stuff they’re never going to be overly critical they’ll lose the revenue from getting things early can’t stand it it’s pointless they don’t represent the normal fanbase and give no advice or anything to lego that helps the product
Well said. I have completely stopped watching LAN member reviews. They all seem to be the same, always super positive about everything and completely disconnected from the price/value.
I agree with you. I very rarely hear a LAN member talk about how overpriced a set is or say anything negative about the set. I’m going to guess that most have someone else build the sets for them. I couldn’t even be part of the program because I call it how I see it! Lego is about to price themselves out of the market.
I always talk about price but then get dismissed because I didn’t pay for it 😂 there’s no winning with people who make pre conceptions about you without even getting to know you.
Great review. I think I can say that you speak for a lot of us when it comes to this video.
I think there are a lot of 'common' problems with these LAN channels:
- Massive haul (technically it isn't a haul if you receive these sets for free and the are delivered on your doorstep) videos of new sets, before they are even available to the public;
- €500 sets being reviewed and talked about as if they are a steal;
- Lackluster, flat or overly positive reviews for mediocre sets;
- LAN-members pretending to be longtime fans of certain IP's (Harry Potter, LOTR, Star Wars,...) to attract a certain fandom and then misnaming characters when their name is literally on the box or being unable to reference the source material in a correct way. You quickly realise that they don't put a lot of effort in these videos and just rehash the same things over and over again, while the real passionate channels are being sidelined.
I really hope something will change in the LAN-program.
That problem is not just for lego, but every area where the are "influencer" or any advertisement with free products or promotions
If Lego worries about the environment, they could go back to when you had multiple pieces added per step of the instructions, and reduce the number of pages. It's silly how each step adds one or two pieces most of the time.
Yeah, that's a common observation we've seen. If Lego wants to reduce the cost of instructions, just add more pieces per step, especially in the 18+ sets.
I agree with much of these critiques. Many of the "reviews" (if you can call them that) of the sets by LAN members are cringe and their comments shouldn't be trusted. However, one caveat I would add is that these LAN members have video of these sets and often show the building of the set from multiple angles and you see it in scale with a person. Just the videos of the reviews showcasing many of the different parts is very helpful for getting an idea about a set. The stock photos and 3D render of the sets on the Lego website are often....lacking. There's usually only 5 pictures at most and often don't show everything.
For example, I remember the Snow White's Cottage set a little while back. The stock pictures never showed that it was an open back. It took watching a video from a LAN member to see exactly what the set looked like from behind (all the rear shots on the Lego website were zoomed in on the details). I personally don't like the open back of sets like that, so I knew that if I purchased it, I'd need to moc a back for it (thankfully someone made one before I bought it and put the plans up on rebrickable).
So, while yes there are a lot of problems with the LAN program, they do help to get a better visual on what the set looks like. This is particularly true of the scale of the sets (the boxes always make sets look way bigger than they actually are) and seeing it from all sides.
I wonder, too, to what extent the lure of the LAN stifles discussion of the other brands. How often do LAN members discuss and review Cobi, Cada, Pantasy, FunWhole, BlueBrixx, etc.? Does Lego even allow them to cover the competition once they've signed the paperwork? I wouldn't want a world where TH-cam channels about tools only discussed the free DeWalt products they got from DeWalt or guitar channels only hyped free Fender products from Fender. But that's basically the situation with the LAN channels and Lego. I do see, though, that the some of the other brick brands send free sets out to smaller channels quite frequently, trying to play Lego's PR game, for better or worse.
It's already being kept out of my RLUG, it's not appreciated if you discuss it online and you can only display your builds at public events if you use 100% LEGO. It's a bit highschool tbh, it doesn't matter what you build, it matters what you build with. And this seems to be driven from LEGO down to the LUG to keep the official recognition.
@@patrickschellen737 That's a shame. I wouldn't want anything to do with that. It does seem quite juvenile and cliquish. I like building, and if a competitor has a better product for less money, I'll gladly spend my time and money there. Lego exclusivity often comes across as misguided at best, weird and cultlike at worst.