Lego spotlights kick-ass APAC girls with CNN International

Ad Nut has repeatedly watched this video of Yoyoka Soma, a girl from Hokkaido, absolutely destroying on the drums at the tender age of 8. You should watch it too. It's not just that Soma manages to nail even the most intricate details of a difficult Led Zeppelin track (witness her exquisite bass-pedal technique at the 2:14 mark), but that she radiates utter, unalloyed joy while doing so.

This is the spirit Lego is tapping into with 'Play her way', a content series produced and presented by CNN International Commercial on the company's Great Big Story site. The idea is that by encouraging our offspring to pursue playful pursuits, they might find out that they just so happen to fucking rule at something, and who knows where that might take them? Excuse the language, Ad Nut gets fired up when it comes to kids. 

The series features a clip about Soma (who is now 9 and has gone on to international fame), as well as videos about an indoor skydiving competitor from Singapore, a 14-year-old CEO in Hong Kong and a South Korean figure-skating champion. A video about a 10-year-old Australian painting prodigy likened to Jackson Pollock is still to come.  

Here's Lego's take on the project, from Ivan Zeng, senior regional marketing director of Lego Asia-Pacific Market Group:

The LEGO Group has an ambition to inspire millions of girls to unlock their potential through a diversified range of creative play experiences, preparing them with the skills they need to shape the world. We need the support and empowerment of their parents in this journey together. ... We hope these stories can inspire millions of parents across Asia-Pacific to support their girls to play her way.

Hear hear!

'Branded content' gets a bad rap, but that's because much of it is crap. This here is the good stuff: It's not an ad in any way. And while it's got a great message—one that is perhaps especially needed in this academically-obsessed region—it doesn't make the mistake of laying it on too thickly. When you've got girls who are this impressive as your subject matter, you don't need to.

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.