Down at the Social extends WeBuyBricks PR partnership

The agreement follows a launch campaign for WeBuyBricks' AI-powered Brick-O-Matic sorting machine, which generated more than 40 pieces of press and broadcast coverage and a combined PR reach of over 190 million.

Manchester-based PR and social media agency Down at the Social (DATS) has extended its partnership with Lancashire-based WeBuyBricks into 2027, adding sister brand WeBuyBooks to its communications remit.

The partnership began in June 2026, with DATS tasked with raising awareness of the Brick-O-Matic, which uses artificial intelligence to sort, check and complete mixed LEGO bricks into sets at WeBuyBricks' converted mill in Rawtenstall, Lancashire.

Brick-O-Matic campaign generates national media coverage

The launch campaign secured coverage across national newspapers, television, radio and online media. Highlights included a feature in The Times, appearances on BBC North West Tonight, BBC Newsround and Channel 5's 5 News, as well as coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live, i, Manchester Evening News and Yahoo! News. The machine also featured on ITV's This Morning.

The story attracted international attention, with coverage in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands. BBC One's Morning Live also filmed a feature at the mill, scheduled to air ahead of Christmas.

Since its launch, the campaign has generated more than 40 pieces of press and broadcast coverage, with a combined PR reach exceeding 190 million and 100 percent positive brand sentiment. A community-focused influencer programme also involved LEGO creators sharing the machine with their audiences.

PR campaign supports WeBuyBricks business growth

The media attention has contributed to increased interest from both sellers and buyers. WeBuyBricks reported a significant rise in enquiries from people looking to sell unwanted LEGO sets, while demand has continued from customers seeking quality-checked pre-owned sets at prices 40 to 60 percent below brand-new equivalents.

DATS will build on the campaign through further news-led, visual and data-driven activity during the festive season and into 2027. Planned initiatives include Christmas gifting campaigns, a search for a talented LEGO builder and further influencer collaborations aimed at encouraging people to sell unwanted sets.

WeBuyBooks joins expanded agency remit

The extended agreement also brings WeBuyBooks into DATS' PR programme. Founded as a bookshop in Crawshawbooth, Lancashire, the business moved online and developed an app that allows sellers to scan book barcodes to receive instant price offers.

It has since grown into one of Europe's largest buyers and sellers of used books, holding approximately two million titles at its mill in Rawtenstall.

DATS will use a data-led communications strategy to highlight the company's role in extending the life of books and promoting reading. Planned storytelling will include its Little Readers initiative, which provides free books to schools, as well as insights into reading habits across the UK. Its first campaign will focus on how the business has saved more than three million books from landfill.

WeBuyBricks and DATS continue partnership into 2027

Paul Ryan, Marketing Manager, WeBuyBricks: "Down at the Social helped us tick off the launch of the Brick-O-Matic in style. We knew we had something special in the machine, but seeing it in The Times, on the BBC and on TV as far away as New Zealand has been a proud moment for everyone here, and we've felt it in the business too, with sets for sale pouring in and buyers snapping them up. The DATS team got to grips with our business quickly and always come to us with ideas. We'd really like to carry on and see what else we can do together, especially as we head into Christmas and bring WeBuyBooks into the mix."

Daisy Whitehouse, Managing Director, DATS: "The first time we saw the Brick-O-Matic, we knew it was a story the whole country would want to see. It's Wallace and Gromit meets Willy Wonka, built in a Lancashire mill, and it's giving unloved LEGO bricks a second life. The WeBuyBricks team have been brilliant partners from day one: open-door, up for anything and quick to say yes.

"In just a few months we've taken the machine from Rawtenstall to The Times, the BBC and breakfast TV on the other side of the world. Just as importantly, the coverage has kept the focus on what matters most to the business: reminding people that the LEGO sets sitting in their lofts are worth something, and that there's a simple way to turn them into cash.

"We're thrilled the WeBuyBricks team want to keep building with us. There's so much more to come from this story, and we can't wait to bring the same energy to Christmas, the new year and to WeBuyBooks, where it all started. There are millions of stories sitting on those shelves."

The extended programme follows the original three-month Brick-O-Matic launch campaign, with Christmas activity already under way.

www.downatthesocial.co.uk

www.webuybricks.co.uk

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