Lego Creator is a Lego theme for generic models. Creator sets have few specialized bricks to create buildings, creatures, vehicles, and robots. Some sets featured instructions for three different possible builds from the bricks included and most sets in recent years have used the 3-in-1 label. Creator is also a parent theme to Lego Creator Expert, a Lego subtheme for adolescents and adults featuring advanced building techniques and large piece counts, mostly known for Modular Buildings and detailed vehicles. Creator also has had several other subthemes such as X-Pods and mosaics.
History
The original theme called Creator was launchedin 2001 and had over-sized minifigures, such as mascots Tina and Max, targeting a younger demographic but was discontinued after one year. In 2002, the Creator name was used for sets composed of buckets or tubs of generic Lego bricks, which later became "Make and Create" and then "Bricks and More". In 2003, a theme called "Designer" began have subject specific sets with bricks and instructions included to buildmultiple models based around a concept, such as vehicles or animals. In 2006, Lego then began branding its Designer sets under the "Creator" theme. In 2004, a subtheme called X-Pods had similar smaller builds included in travel-sized containers and was also then branded under the Creator theme in 2006. The 2006 X-Pods were also the first Creator theme to use the "3-in-1" labeling on the packaging, which later became a primary feature of Creator sets. In 2007, the Creator line introduced two sets based around creating mosaics under a separate sub-theme. The theme began including Lego minifigures in sets based around buildings in 2011.
X-Pods
X-Pods were formerly a subtheme of Designer sets from 2004 to 2005 and transitioned to the Creator brand in 2006. X-Pods were small, portable containers that contained small sets of Lego bricks. They came with a strap to join them together for easy mobility and transportation. The X-Pod theme also had smaller polybag versions of select sets without the mobile pod itself and had the first branded Creator 3-in-1 sets in 2006.
Creator Expert
In 2013, Lego merged its advanced technique models into the Creator line, under the sub-theme of Creator Expert starting with the March 2013 release of the 10232 Palace Cinema, a modular building. Previously, the advanced sets had been themed under Lego Model Team until the labeling was discontinued in 1999. After Model Team, the advanced sets had no labeled theme on the packaging and were typically only sold as exclusives. The previously released exclusive sets were then sold under the Creator Expert brand, and some received new updated packaging such as the 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van that had originally been released in 2011. Creator Expert is advertised specifically for adolescents and adults. Creator Expert typically has annual releases that follow themes such as a Winter Village; a product line first released in 2009 focusing on winter-holiday aspects, Modular Buildings; a series of town, apartment, and retail structures first launched in 2007, and models based on real world vehicles.
