"A Matter Directly Linked to Livelihoods"... Discomfort Over Appearance of Toy Bouquets

Broadcast Awards Replace Bouquets with LEGO
Association Warns of Shrinking Demand... Broadcasters Should Have Been More Careful

Recently, the floral industry has publicly raised concerns regarding the use of toy bouquets instead of fresh flowers at year-end broadcasting award ceremonies.

On January 9, the Korea Florist Association, a nationwide organization of flower shop owners led by President Bae Jeonggu, issued a statement saying, "The use of toy bouquets has dealt another blow to flower farmers and florist workers who are already struggling due to the economic downturn and reduced consumption." The association added, "There is a risk that fresh flower bouquets may come to be perceived as inefficient and full of drawbacks."

At the 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards, broadcaster Yoo Jae-seok is holding a bouquet made of LEGO. MBC

The case in question occurred at the 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards, held on December 29 of last year. At this award ceremony, all recipients were given bouquets made of LEGO instead of fresh flowers, and the venue itself was decorated with LEGO's 'Botanical Series.' This marks the first time a major terrestrial broadcaster has entirely replaced award ceremony bouquets with toy flowers.

While some consumers responded positively to the broadcaster's attempt, saying it was "refreshing" and "a matter of personal choice," the floral industry is concerned about the phenomenon of fresh flower demand being replaced by toy flowers during the key sales period leading up to graduation season. On-site, there were criticisms that "broadcasting is a medium that influences consumers, so the choice should have been made more carefully."

The association emphasized, "The domestic floral industry includes more than 20,000 flower shop small business owners and numerous flower farmers, so the consumption of fresh flowers is directly linked to their livelihoods." They added, "The government is also supporting the promotion of flower consumption through the 'Act on the Promotion of the Floral Industry and Flower Culture,' so the use of toy flowers in highly influential broadcast programs could undermine these policy efforts." The association plans to convey this position to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs as well.

A bouquet set released by Lego. Lego

Meanwhile, LEGO has reported growth in its performance, driven by the popularity of its bouquet sets made from LEGO, even amid a downturn in the toy market.

According to AFP and other foreign media outlets, LEGO achieved record-high results in 2024, with sales rising 13% year-on-year to 74.3 billion Danish kroner (approximately 15.7 trillion won). This was accomplished despite the overall Danish toy and game market declining by 1%.

LEGO stated that sales of its bouquet sets have surged, particularly in the United States. The Botanical Series, which was used for event bouquets, is cited as one of its most popular product lines.