Despite ongoing progress and awareness campaigns, society’s views on career roles continue to be affected by gender stereotypes. Roles like firefighters, engineers, or construction workers are still believed to be more suitable for males, whereas nurses, teachers, or caregivers are largely perceived as jobs for females by default. Unfortunately, because of these cultural expectations, kids are limited from exploring their talent, discouraging them from pursuing a career path that society dictates as being ‘unsuitable’ for their gender.
The same applies to the role of a builder, which is often perceived as a male-dominated profession. To shift perceptions and encourage girls to build, play, and get creative, the LEGO Group has launched a campaign that reimagines the lyrics of the classic hip-hop song by Run-DMC, “It’s Like That.” Rooted in recent research commissioned by the group, the “She Built That” initiative aims to change the definition of a builder and break down gender stereotypes that are instilled by society from early childhood.
In a bold move, LEGO teamed up with a Global Girls Crew featuring Gen Z and Gen Alpha stars, joined by none other than Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, who lend their voices to key moments in the video. Among the stars invited to inspire a new generation of female builders are US teen scratch sensation and spinner-to-the-stars DJ Livia, 15-year-old British drumming prodigy Nandi Bushell, Dutch-Surinamese vocalist Pink Oculus, Chinese alt-pop icon Cacien, and viral dance duo Brooke Blewitt and Jess Qualter.
Commenting on the initiative, the hip-hop duo said: “Run DMC has always stood for breaking barriers and inspiring change. We’re excited to see our classic anthem reimagined as ‘She Built That,’ celebrating the creativity and innovation of girls everywhere. Just as we pushed the limits of hip-hop, we want to inspire a world where every girl recognizes her building power.”
The catchy and electrifying 2-minute-and-50-second-long video reimagines the iconic anthem with new lyrics that echo how incredible girls are, empowering them to see themselves as fearless builders, visionary creators, and unstoppable innovators shaping the future.
Lena Dixen, SVP, Product Group, Core Businesses at the LEGO Group, added: “Being a builder goes beyond hard hats and hammers; it’s about harnessing the creative potential within every young person to construct dreams, forge connections, and shape the future. Every girl and woman is a builder — whether it’s assembling teams, tackling challenges, or pushing boundaries. With ‘She Built That,’ we aim to empower the next generation of female builders and help foster a society where all children can realize their full creative potential and receive the recognition they deserve, regardless of gender.”
“As we set out to celebrate the incredible creativity of female builders, repurposing RUN DMC’s iconic song was a natural choice. ‘It’s Like That’ has always been about challenging norms and inspiring change, and with ‘She Built That,’ we’ve infused it with the essence of empowerment and innovation. This reimagined anthem is a movement to redefine what it means to be a builder. We want to inspire girls everywhere to see themselves as creators and pioneers, capable of shaping their world in extraordinary ways,” continued Nic Taylor, SVP at the LEGO Group and Head of Our LEGO Agency.
The LEGO research, which lies at the foundation of the “She Built That” campaign,” explored how parents and kids envision a builder when asked to describe one. According to the study, 39% of children pictured a “builder” as “a man on a construction site,” whereas 36% associated the word with “a boy playing with building blocks.”
Conducted across 21 countries and involving 32.605 parents and kids, the study spotlights the gender stereotypes: 80% of the quizzed adults said that society still views the activity of building as one that is more suited to boys. However, many parents think it is time for change, with 81% of them expressing their thoughts on making the word “building” a more gender-inclusive one. Of course, kids agree with the thought, with 92% of them saying that everyone should feel capable of building.
CREDITS
‘She Built That’ Video Credits:
LEGO Global Girls Crew
Vocals: Pink Oculus
Creators: Nandi Bushell, DJ Livia, Brookie and Jessie, and Cacien
LEGO Figures: Glinda, Elphaba, Elsa, Ana, Olaf, Autumn, Aliya, Jazzy + Rocky
