The recent LEGO Everyone Wants a Piece campaign featuring Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, and Vinícius Júnior sparked a massive debate. Fans questioned the authenticity of the ad in the digital age.
While LEGO explicitly stated the ad avoids AI, behind-the-scenes footage reveals a different story. The production team used traditional filmmaking techniques, specifically CGI and body doubles, to create a moment that never occurred in real life.
The Logistics of a Legend-Studded Shoot
Coordinating the schedules of four high-profile athletes presents a logistical nightmare. This situation mirrors the iconic 2022 Louis Vuitton Chess photo. That famous image used a composite of two separate filming sessions. Similarly, the LEGO ad relied on individual filming windows.
Instead of waiting for one shared date, the production team filmed each player separately. Consequently, the magic of body doubles and CGI took centre stage.
How Body Doubles Bridged the Gap
Leaked footage from the set shows Kylian Mbappé filming his scenes. He stands alongside actors wearing blue and green shirts. These individuals serve as stand-ins or body doubles.
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- Spatial Reference: First, they provide the athlete with a physical person for interaction. This ensures that eye lines and gestures appear natural in the final cut.
- Lighting and Shadows: Furthermore, stand-ins help the cinematography team map out light. Accurate lighting remains crucial for a realistic final composite.
Seamless Integration Through CGI
After capturing the individual footage, the post-production team uses Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) to stitch the scenes together.
- Compositing: Technicians digitally remove the body doubles. They then replace those actors with footage of the actual stars.
- Environmental Consistency: Additionally, CGI ensures a consistent environment. The table, the LEGO World Cup trophy, and the shadows match across every shot.
- Refining the Aesthetic: Finally, digital retouching creates a “polished” look. Artists adjust every frame to ensure the textures of the LEGO bricks and jerseys match perfectly.
Why Not Just Use AI?
The choice to avoid AI in favour of CGI remains significant for a brand like LEGO. While AI generates faces and movements, it often lacks precision. Moreover, AI can lead to uncanny valley effects in high-end commercial work.
By filming real faces and using CGI for assembly, the production maintains high quality. This technique allowed LEGO to do the unthinkable. It brought the past, present, and future of football together in one cohesive moment for the 2026 World Cup.
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