A massive crop circle spanning 50 metres has intrigued Central West locals - but were they in on the gag?
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The crop circle was built on a Narromine farm as part of a stunt by LEGO Australia to launch its new range of space-themed lego sets.
VP and GM of Lego ANZ, Troy Taylor, told ACM Narromine was chosen because it had little light pollution and the crop circle would have been able to be seen from space.
He called the suburb a place of vast space, with the right light reflection conditions to see the crop circle from an aeroplane.
"A bit of thought went into it," he said.
"We're really pleased that we can put Narromine on the map in regional NSW with the giant lego crop."
What went into the stunt?
The crop circle was created using a full production team, staged like a film set.
![Actors in hazmat suits (left) and a crop circle in Narromine in the shape of a Lego Minifigure which was created as part of a marketing ploy for the brand's new Lego Space range. Picture supplied Actors in hazmat suits (left) and a crop circle in Narromine in the shape of a Lego Minifigure which was created as part of a marketing ploy for the brand's new Lego Space range. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/QQwHRnUv9qYdvjDNLdqaup/9405ee62-ec6e-47b9-bfac-98a8d924a35e.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A marketing campaign was developed, with media releases sent to media companies - including ACM (the publisher of this masthead) - asking how the crop circle came to be in Narromine and whether it could be the work of something from outer space.
Videos were filmed, with actors playing locals who inadvertently stumbled across the crop circle and filmed it with drones, only to have their video footage turn crackly - presumably the work of aliens.
"We created a bit of a stage production," Mr Taylor said.
![A crop circle in Narromine in the shape of a Lego Minifigure was created as part of a marketing ploy for the brand's new Lego Space range. Picture supplied A crop circle in Narromine in the shape of a Lego Minifigure was created as part of a marketing ploy for the brand's new Lego Space range. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/QQwHRnUv9qYdvjDNLdqaup/f4bb22ec-da4a-44ff-ac2d-fe307e148250.jpg/r0_0_3840_2159_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"We had it all fenced off and we had people who dressed up in hazmat outfits saying there's been some signs of extraterrestrial life in this area - and there's been a crop circle identified and most likely from a UFO."
The videos were posted on YouTube and sent to media outlets to help spread word about the campaign.
Keen-eyed watchers would have noticed the crop circle was created in the shape of a Lego Minifigure.
Lego has a long history of working with space-themed pieces and sets - dating back to the 1950s.
The latest Lego Space sets come in ranges for people of all ages, from children to adults.
![Children who are part of generation alpha, kids born between 2010 and 2025, stand in the crop circle in Narromine as part of Lego's marketing stunt. Picture supplied Children who are part of generation alpha, kids born between 2010 and 2025, stand in the crop circle in Narromine as part of Lego's marketing stunt. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/QQwHRnUv9qYdvjDNLdqaup/9c77edb0-a27d-44db-85e7-5ea072acdafa.jpg/r0_411_7390_4566_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The space generation
Today's young children will likely be the next to enter space, and could even be the first on Mars.
These children are known as generation alpha, kids born between 2010 and 2025 - future explorers dubbed by Lego Australia as the space generation.
Lego is tapping into children's imaginations to find out what else is out there, and a study by the company showed 87 per cent of children are interested in finding new planets, stars and galaxies.
![Katherine Bennell-Pegg, the first Astronaut trained under the Australian flag and Australian Space Agency. Picture supplied Katherine Bennell-Pegg, the first Astronaut trained under the Australian flag and Australian Space Agency. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/QQwHRnUv9qYdvjDNLdqaup/6fedae90-f64e-4804-9e9c-3fefad67cd10.jpg/r0_0_3337_4449_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The organisation has partnered with the Australian Space Agency, and team member Katherine Bennell-Pegg - the first Australian astronaut - to inspire kids to unleash their imaginations.
"It's an honour representing Australia as the first astronaut under our flag and to be working with LEGO Australia to encourage The Space Generation to explore the universe!" Bennell-Pegg said in a statement.
"The Australian Space Agency and LEGO Australia share a unified vision for exploration and discovery, and I believe that unlocking creativity through the medium of LEGO play will give Aussie kids the very best chance to pursue their passion and prepare them for the future."