Issue 97: A Bulletin for Big Ideas and Better Business

OPINION / Creativity

On satisfying the toughest target audience: kids

💬 Stephania Silveira

Stephania Silveira is Creative Director at the LEGO Group.

THE BUSINESS OF CREATIVITY: Can you describe your own creative philosophy?

STEPHANIA SILVEIRA: My creative philosophy is to run from boredom as fast and as far as I can. Boring work is almost as hard to make as great work. You spend the same amount of money, sit through the same number of meetings, and allocate the same resources. Isn’t it a waste to do that for something no one cares about?

TBOC: It is indeed. How do you avoid boredom?

SS: Entertainment and fun are a basic human need, and sticking to the expected often leaves the audience unfulfilled. Humans are wired for play – we crave stimulation, excitement, and discovery. I learned this during maternity leave – my baby girl would cry for hours, and it wasn’t because she was hungry or needed a nappy change. She was bored. I’d take her for a walk, she’d see the world in all its glory, and she’d instantly smile.

Entertainment and fun are a basic human need.

TBOC: How does creativity form a vital part of your work with the LEGO Group?

SS: I feel incredibly fortunate to work at a company where creativity and fun aren’t treated as extras – they are core values. They’re not just encouraged; they’re embedded right in the brand vision. At the LEGO Group, creativity is described as an essential 21st-century skill.

Creativity is described as an essential 21st-century skill.

TBOC: What about your role specifically?

SS: As a creative director, I need to constantly find new ways to engage and entertain the world’s most discerning and demanding audience: kids. If you hang around with them, you know they’re a tough crowd to please: you don’t want to be the boring adult – metaphorically or literally – when you’re trying to connect with them. It might be through channelling their absurd sense of humour, exploring new entertainment formats, or tapping into their latest passions – but creativity remains the best way to keep up and wow them.

TBOC: What is the greatest outcome associated with creativity?

SS: There isn’t really a more valuable reward than the genuine attention and appreciation of the audience you’re trying to reach. People have so many things they could be spending their time on – when people connect with something that you’ve created it should still be seen as a real compliment, because it is.

TBOC: What are the consequences of deprioritising it?

SS: You turn into a business Dementor: draining the soul from your product, your people, and your workplace. Eventually, you’ll start worrying that AI will replace you – because in this case, it will.

TBOC: And so AI replacement becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy?

SS: Creativity is what makes you irreplaceable. The ability to come up with ideas that are new, surprising, and valuable should be taught in school. It’s no longer just for designers or artists, it’s a business-critical skill, a competitive edge. It is the one thing others can’t fully copy. And if they try, you’ll have the tools to reinvent yourself and have fresh ideas.

Creativity is what makes you irreplaceable.

We asked Stephania a couple of questions on how she personally relates to creativity, here’s what she had to say…

TBOC: What is your creative North Star?

SS: For me, it’s about creating things that become part of people’s everyday lives. They don’t need to be sophisticated or award-winning (although if they do win, that’s great!). I actually love the mundane. I love making things that make people laugh, that make their day a little lighter, a little less painful. Right now, I’m leading the social creative at Our LEGO Agency, and nothing makes me happier than seeing the team create work that makes someone’s daily routine less boring and more playful.

TBOC: What has inspired you lately?

SS: The series Hacks, streaming on Amazon Prime, is a dark comedy about a veteran comedian at the tail end of her career who reluctantly teams up with a younger comic brought in to refresh her material. What I love about it isn’t just the sharp comedy writing, though that’s a big part of it, it’s how the show explores intergenerational humour: what made people laugh in the ’80s versus what gets laughs today. As someone who writes comedy and does gigs in my spare time, I find the topic fascinating.