Lego has created a campaign which segments the market based on gender. The process of segmentation inevitably has far reaching societal impact because of the pervasiveness of commercial products. The degree of influence over targeted children is far more critical than it would be in adults as they are in the process of developing patterns of thought that will stay with them the rest of their lives.

Essentially any segmentation of the population results in the creation of cultural stereotypes which inform our perceptions of each other. The process is inherently distancing; it threatens to lessen our connections to each other. It erodes our awareness of the fundamental truth of our shared humanity. The danger arises when people fail to put in the effort to truly get to the individual and revert to accepted norms. When we are trained to identify with our own “in” group then we perceive outsiders as lesser.

A little girl who is conditioned to choose the pink product to reinforce her gender identity will have greater difficulties down the road if this identity is threatened in some way through encounters with non-traditional behaviours, or desires that are not heteronormal. It also causes her to shy away from products targeted at boys which can be crucial in developing the hands-on skills and spatial problem solving abilities needed later on for careers in lucrative male-dominate industries.. While the product seems to satisfy an existing demand niche for “girly” toys, these practices feed established oppressive patterns of patriarchy. The marketers have the power to influence the next generation and create a more equitable society, so perhaps they also have the responsibility to do so. Of course, consumers also have a responsibility to careful scrutinize, educate their children and vote with their purchasing power