LEGO Friends sets are designed to appeal to girls and were introduced in 2012. The Friends theme includes mini-doll figures, which are around the same size as minifigures but are more realistic. LEGO Friends pieces are fully compatible with all LEGO System bricks and sets include pieces in pink and purple color schemes and depict scenes from suburban life set in the fictional town of Heartlake City.
2012 LEGO Sets
2012 was a very important year for LEGO license themes, namely, the contract with Lucasfilm was renewed to extend Star Wars sets until at least 2022. The LEGO Group also celebrated its 80th anniversary in August of that year. 2012 also marked the year for one of the largest number of new and important themes being released which included The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Marvel Super Heroes, DC Super Heroes, Monster Fighters, Friends and LEGO Friends. With the introduction of all these new themes LEGO did discontinue a number of beloved themes in 2012 which included Alien Conquest, Atlantis, Pharaoh's Quest, Kingdoms and Harry Potter which did make a return six-years later, thankfully.