We spoke to the man making viral Lego-style AI videos for Iran. Experts say it’s powerful propaganda
We Spoke to the Man Behind Viral Lego-Style AI Videos for Iran. Experts Call It a Formidable Propaganda Tool
At first glance, these AI videos resemble scenes from a Lego movie, yet they carry a sharper, more intense narrative. Featuring elements like fallen children, American military aircraft, and Donald Trump, they are far from childlike in their message. In fact, they are part of a strategic propaganda campaign promoting Iran’s stance. For the BBC podcast *Top Comment*, we interviewed a representative of Explosive Media, a key player in producing such content. He requested to be referred to as Mr Explosive, a social media strategist who initially denied ties to the Iranian government. However, after further discussion, he acknowledged that Iran is a “customer” of their operations—a claim he had not publicly confirmed before.
The Aesthetic of Resistance
The videos’ Lego-inspired visuals are intentionally garish, prioritizing bold imagery over subtlety. Yet their lack of finesse hasn’t hindered their shareability. One clip shows Trump being engulfed by “Epstein file” documents, accompanied by rap lyrics that hint at secrets leaking and pressure mounting. Another portrays George Floyd beneath a boot, while a narrator asserts that Iran stands “for everyone your system ever wronged.” The term “slopaganda,” coined in a recent academic paper as a play on “AI slop,” seems insufficient to describe the potency of this “highly sophisticated” content, according to Dr Emma Briant, a leading expert on propaganda.
“Slopaganda is too weak a term to capture the impact of these videos,” Briant remarked. “They are not just visually striking—they are designed to resonate deeply with global audiences.”
Mr Explosive, during our video call, was shown in silhouette, with red and green lights casting the Iranian flag’s colors around him. On his desk lay a green-feathered helmet tied to Shia historical icon Husayn ibn Ali, a recurring symbol in their work. He explained that his small team, fewer than ten members, uses Lego-style graphics because “it is a world language.” Iranian and Russian state media frequently share these clips, amplifying their reach to millions of followers.
Factual Fictions and Strategic Narratives
When questioned about the Epstein files, Mr Explosive emphasized their role in highlighting the “kind of confrontation” between Iran—positioned as a defender of truth—and “those who associate themselves with cannibals,” a reference to conspiracy theories linking the Trump administration to cannibalism. Though these claims lack evidence, the videos incorporate such narratives to shape perception. Similarly, they sometimes include factual errors, such as depicting an Iranian military capture of a downed US pilot. US officials have stated that the pilot, stranded in a mountainous region, was rescued by special forces on 4 April. Mr Explosive disputes this, suggesting the “main goal was to steal uranium from Iran.”
“Only 13% of what Mr Trump says is based on facts,” he argued, aligning with alternative narratives about the pilot’s mission being a “special ops mission for uranium.”
Dr Tine Munk, a cyber warfare expert at Nottingham Trent University, described Iran’s approach as “defensive memetic warfare,” a tactic to counter US-led discourse. Explosive Media’s videos, which emerged in early 2025, have gained traction amid the US-Iran conflict. They now showcase intricate details of Gulf locations, including power plants and airports, seemingly obliterated by Iranian strikes. While some scenes may exaggerate, they underscore the growing sophistication of state-driven content creation, leveraging Western data to craft messages that feel culturally relatable to global audiences.
