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CARE BEARS AT 40
40 years of Caring Next year will see the Care Bears brand celebrate its 40th anniversary with a host of new products, content and retailer and partner initiatives around the globe. And, while the characters’ look may have changed over the years, the mission of sharing and caring has remained steadfast and, perhaps, has never been more relevant than it is today.
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t is one of the most popular and endearing children’s properties in the world, and the Care Bears universal message of kindness and acceptance has been resonating with fans of all ages for nearly four decades. “Fans of all ages love these huggable bears from Carea-Lot who inspire all to have fun, share and care,” begins Roubina Tchoboian, vp international licensing, Cloudco Entertainment. “From the beginning, and no matter what has been on trend since then, Care Bears’ universal message of kindness and acceptance nurtures emotional connections like no other brand can. The look of the Care Bears is the most notable change throughout the years, but the brand’s mission of sharing and caring has remained the same.” With the lead up to the brand’s 40th anniversary in 2022 in full swing, 2021 has been packed with activity.
The latest Care Bears redesign, based on the successful Care Bears: Unlock the Magic series, has been integrated into Care Bears-themed merchandise globally. In addition, the relaunch of the Care Bears toys with master toy partner, Basic Fun Toys! enjoyed immediate success at Walmart locations across the US and online. This success story continued with strong sales at Target, Amazon.com and a number of other online and bricks and mortar retailers across the US, Canada and the UK since its initial launch. Summer also saw the introduction of a brandnew Care Bears character – Togetherness Bear – which continues to hold the number two spot on the bestselling girls’ toy list at both Walmart.com and in-store at Walmart. And that’s not all, another new character will be unveiled later this year in the final music video in season two of Care Bears:
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CARE BEARS AT 40 Unlock the Music, leading into the 40th programmes using never before seen anniversary celebrations. artwork – beautiful original paintings from Roubina continues: “2022 is going the 80s. Later in the year, you’ll find that to be an opportunity for everyone many anniversary collections will feature to reconnect with the brand. We’re our brand new Care Bear – the first ever to celebrating 40 years of caring, sharing, exist in Care-a-Lot.” kindness and inclusivity with limited While the retro/nostalgia trend has edition collaborations meant that Care Bears with over 40 exciting has enjoyed significant new brand partners. success with the adult We’ll be continuing demographic in recent Care Bears were first introduced by American Greetings in 1982 through our Care Bears Food years, the success of greeting cards. Based on the success Tour around the world. the new toys has also in the social expression category, the We are curating a now brought the brand characters were then developed into global artist series and back to the forefront of plush and other consumer products gallery exhibition with children’s licensing. categories. 40 artists. We’ll also “The 40th anniversary The Care Bears first appeared in be hosting Care Bears is a wonderful their own television specials in 1983 and 1984, followed by a long-running meet and greets and opportunity to continue animated TV series. They made the special pop-up the expansion of leap to the big screen in 1985-87 events for fans around the brand within the with the Care Bears Movie trilogy. the globe.” young girls and juniors More recently, the Care Bears While full details of demographic, while still could be seen in Care Bears: Unlock the activity are being appealing to fans and the Magic, a 2D animated series kept underwraps young adults with the featuring an all-new look and mission for the bears. This launched for now, the first amazing collaborations in 2019 on Tiny Pop in the UK and is collaboration partners that we have planned now available on Cartoonito on HBO will be unveiled in all throughout the year,” Max and Cartoon Network in the US. January, while the says Roubina. programme will also And looking even include retailer exclusives, social media further ahead? “Care Bears will continue and digital campaigns around each launch, to offer the kind and gentle support, and encouraging fans to ‘Care like a Care Bear’, lasting impact, that they have provided to ‘Share like a Care Bear’ and ‘Love like a past generations who love and remember Care Bear’, plus original YouTube content Care Bears,” Roubina concludes. “We will and special Care Bears care packages. continue to be inspired by young people When it comes to consumer products, and recognise what is socially relevant key categories will include kids and to them, so we can continue to grow and adult apparel, accessories, beauty, toys, evolve the brand and what it means to publishing, food and travel. “Some of say and mean that there’s a Care Bear for these licensees are developing retailer everyone.” exclusive capsule collections,” explains Roubina. “Others are developing special
The Bear facts
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THE UK LICENSING PROGRAMME
Celebrating success For Bulldog Licensing, the 40th anniversary of Care Bears will not only be a celebration of the brand, but also of how its nostalgia and familiarity, plus its messages of kindness and caring, have helped people throughout a challenging period. Plus with the introduction of a new character, fresh style guides, there’s a lot for licensees and retailers to get their teeth into.
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ersonally, I love working on a brand that I remember from my own childhood,” begins Sophie Yates, licensing executive at Bulldog Licensing, when asked what it means to be working on a brand with such heritage as Care Bears. “There have been numerous looks and styles of the bears over the years, but the rainbow colours, main characters and their unique belly badges are still instantly recognisable. “The core messages and heart of the brand remains, and I think that is what has given it the longevity. It’s a pleasure for us when speaking to licensees and retailers to see that recognition as they also have their own fond memories of the brand and their own favourite character.” Softlines have performed strongly throughout 2021 and Sophie explains that this will continue through the remainder of the year across retailers including ASOS, Primark and New Look. There will also be new products on shelf from
other categories including homewares, lunchware, beauty and craft magazines. When it comes to the 40th anniversary in 2022, Sophie states: “It will be a celebration! Celebrating the success of the brand, but also of us making it through the past couple of years. We’ve seen people drawn to nostalgia and familiarity over the challenging times we’ve all seen. The messages of Care Bears – kindness, caring and inclusivity have been of utmost importance in recent times, as have owning your feelings. I’m sure most of us have had days of feeling Grumpy, now we’re all looking forward to many more days of Funshine and Cheer! “It will also be a great opportunity to introduce the brand to new fans of all ages. While many are now introducing the brand to their kids, in 40 years time they’ll be introducing it to their grandkids.”
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THE UK LICENSING PROGRAMME Existing UK licensees are busy developing product for the anniversary next year and beyond, while Sophie explains that there are a number of special collaborations planned across fashion and food. An anniversary logo has also been created for licensees to use on product launching in 2022, while new style guides will help to give products released next year an exclusive feel. “A new bear – Care-a-lot—features in some of these guides,” adds Sophie. “She’s the very first bear to exist in the magical Kingdom of Caring, and she possesses the most magic of all the Care Bears. Her belly badge depicts the Care-A-Lot Castle being illuminated with a beautiful rainbow – keep an eye out for products featuring her.” As for further growth for the brand, as well as adult softlines, Sophie points out that Care Bears will see expansion in other categories including accessories, home, stationery and a substantial gifting range next year. “2022 will also see strong growth in the kids and baby markets. Care Bears: Unlock the Magic is a favourite on Pop and Tiny Pop, and the series of 46 original Care Bears: Unlock the
Music available on YouTube is bringing the brand straight to today’s children. The fantastic range from Basic Fun continues its growth in the toy aisle, and from next year we will see the range expand to include children’s softlines, home, stationery and food.” Sophie concludes: “We now have over 30 licensees on board for the brand and we’re really excited to see the products they’re busy developing come to market in the next few months.”
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THE KIDS OPPORTUNITY
A brand for all ages
Although it’s been the retro/nostalgia element which has proven popular with licensees in recent years, there is also a huge opportunity in the children’s space for Care Bears. And this has been ably demonstrated by the successful master toy range from Basic Fun!
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t’s been almost three years since Basic Fun! started working with the Care Bears brand. “From the launch of the new series Care Bears: Unlock the Magic in SS19, Care Bears has been a priority for Basic Fun!” explains Holly Lackey, head of marketing at the company. “This brilliant series introduces a new generation to these iconic, adorable characters – so we were delighted to be named master toy partner. We launched our Care Bears toy range in AW20 and we couldn’t have hoped for a better response – we completely sold out of several lines and sales continue to
exceed expectations.” The collection now includes a host of favourite characters available in a variety of sizes. Central to the range is the 14” Medium Plush core line-up which includes characters such as Cheer Bear and Share Bear among others. In addition, thanks to the collectable appeal, the 9” Bean Plush has also proved to be an excellent seller, says Holly, who continues “it’s also important to keep the range fresh, with regular introductions of new (old favourite) characters, such as this year’s addition of Hopeful Heart Bear, Love-A-Lot Bear, as well as Togetherness Bear - the first new Care Bears character for a decade which was a sell-out success.” The new launches will continue with Dream Bright Bear – the most optimistic bear in Care-A-Lot, encouraging all to follow their dreams – with 9” and 14” plush, 3” micro plush Care Bears, plus I Care Bear which is made from recyclable materials including plant-based inks. Holly says: “Designed to resemble the earth, I Care Bear is the perfect balance of colour – green for the land, blue for the water. I Care Bear’s belly badge is a nod to recycling and the environment.” The upcoming 40th anniversary also affords Basic Fun! with a number of opportunities, as Holly explains.
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THE KIDS OPPORTUNITY
Mum approved
Further expansion for Care Bears has also come in the form of a new baby style guide. Both Cloudco Entertainment and Bulldog Licensing have been seeing traction for the property within the demographic, with Care Bears considered to be a ‘safe and trustworthy’ brand for parents to buy for their newborns. “The baby guide is incredibly cute; it features a softer look bear in pastel colours,” explains Sophie Yates, licensing executive at Bulldog Licensing. “We’re at the stage where consumers who grew up with Care Bears are now having children of their own and are keen to introduce them to the brand at a young age. “Sambro have launched a range of plush featuring nursery elements and Dennicci are itsbusy developing a range of babywear which will launch at retail next year. We’re currently toexploring wider opportunities for this demographic as Care Bears really is a brand for all ages.”
“With the brand celebrating 40th anniversary in 2022, the Care Bears collection will be inviting fans take a trip down memory lane,” she says. “Given that heritage partly drives the brand, this big birthday year presents a huge opportunity for Care Bears. We plan to really embrace this by not only celebrating the characters within the current collection, but also by bringing in other characters old, and possibly even a very special commemorative bear.” Holly admits that Care Bears has a diverse audience, with the appeal to children being the new ‘share your care’ and show your emotion sentiment. She also believes there are many factors which make Care Bears a toyetic brand. “First, the characters really lend themselves to the toy space - the plush market in particular – they’re bears, after all,” she says. “Secondly, the nature of the characters, and the fact that the brand’s ethos is to spread cheer, positivity
and joy makes Care Bears a brand that children can not only relate to, but which they want to play with. Also, as with many popular children’s shows, there is also a thirst for toys that allow children to continue the fun off-screen with all their favourite characters.” As for what the future might hold for Basic Fun! and Care Bears, Holly teases to watch this space, before concluding “we will definitely be making lots of noise on our social channels and it’s our big birthday year so there will be cake!”
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RETRO VIBES
In fashion
Already a popular trend, the appeal of nostalgic and retro brands really come to the fore throughout the pandemic, providing a sense of comfort during challenging times. For Care Bears, this meant acting as inspiration for a number of fashion, design and even food brands.
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here have been many fun collaborations and partnerships involving the Care Bears characters in recent years – with companies inspired by the nostalgic appeal of the bears to the adult market, as well as their universal messages of kindness and empathy. At the beginning of 2021, Skinnydip London launched its first Care Bears range with a 31-piece collection that ranged from apparel to accessories including super soft faux fur materials, pastel prints and fun slogans. “These were super popular with fans and a second collection dropped in August,” says Sole Slater, senior creative manager at Bulldog Licensing. “Summer saw the launch of brilliantly bright tights from Snag Tights, pictured above – their
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RETRO VIBES
first ever licensed range. The collection was inspired by the founder of the sizeinclusive retailer, Brie Read’s love of the iconic TV show. “Following the challenges of the pandemic, it was the ideal opportunity to create a collection with characters which celebrate caring, helping and empathy and hence the Care Bears collection launched in sizes 4 to 38, in keeping with Snag’s ongoing commitment to inclusion and diversity.” Roubina Tchoboian, vp international licensing, Cloudco Entertainment says that the different interpretations from fashion retailers to designers have been a “true testament to the universality of the brand”. “Care Bears has a universal message that will always be fashionable – it’s bright, colourful, empathic, and loved across generations… delivering this into higher fashion areas through work with collaboration partners including Irregular Choice, Dolls Kill and Skinnydip has laid strong foundations for the hugely popular high street fashion lines for young adults which have driven strong sales through the last two years. Some of our high street partners have even seen stock sold out within hours of launch.” There is also a belief there are further opportunities in the retro/nostalgia area which haven’t yet been explored. Roubina Tchoboian continues: “Care Bears has become the
symbol of ‘newstalgia’ which means that the brand will still find its place in new trends supported by its retro appeal. “We have done an amazing job at reviving Care Bears as a retro brand among young adults, but since last year, it has been very interesting to see how the initial throwback appeal translated into toy sales for the current generation of kids being introduced to the brand for the very first time through the animated series. There is breadth and depth to the Care Bears brand that allows us the opportunity to explore a sense of nostalgia while adding newness.”
Tasty morsels
Away from the fashion space, food is also a huge category for Care Bears. For the last five years, Cloudco Entertainment has worked continuously on food collaborations that have exceeded everyone’s expectations in terms of both reach and revenue. The most recent partnership in the category is the opening of the Care Bears x Baskin Robbins’ café in Seoul, South Korea, with Cloudco Entertainment hoping to see more soon. Sophie adds: “We have two UK food collaborations planned for Easter and summer next year which we’re really excited about. Care Bears and food go hand in hand – there are a number of style guides available around the theme of food so these feel like the perfect fit.”
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COLLABORATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS
Sharing the joy With its rich heritage, stories of love and happiness, bright colours and heart-warming messages, it’s no surprise that Care Bears has been a source of inspiration for a variety of fashion brands. A host of collaborations have seen brands including TruffleShuffle, Irregular Choice, Snag Tights and Skinnydip London among others combining their creativity with the classic property. “Our Skinnydip shoppers both old and new are loving our colourful, lovable Care Bears range. Since we dropped the first collection our customers are always asking for more pieces and restocks over on our socials, so the second drop has come right in time.” LEWIS BLITZ, co-founder, Skinnydip London “When thinking about collaboration partners, we always choose those that resonate with our brand. The Irregular Choice world is fun, magical, celebrates love, caring and is full of rainbows, fluffy clouds, stars and vibrant colours … therefore, what could be more Irregular Choice than Care Bears? The collaboration featured many of Care-A-Lot’s best loved characters on shoes, bags and accessories. It was a fantastic project to work on and a huge success.”
DANIEL SULLIVAN, designer/director, Irregular Choice
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“Care Bears have always held a special place in my heart – I adored them as a child, and I love what they stand for. Their stories showed how to bring love and happiness into even the hardest of hearts, and so given the challenges we have all experienced over the course of the pandemic, this message seemed more important to share with our customers than ever before. It was incredibly important for us to create something that could be worn and loved by every Care Bears fan, regardless of their size or body type. So many limited editions disappoint and exclude customers with limited sizing, which is where Snag truly shines. We’re absolutely delighted to have launched this outrageously fun, colourful and nostalgic licensed collection, that we just know our Snagglers will cherish as much as we do.”
BRIE READ, ceo and founder, Snag
“Our ethos here at TruffleShuffle is ‘You Love It, We Get It’ and what better way to ensure we stay relevant to fans, than to turn them into co-creators. Choosing fans who happen to be influencers in their own right was a no-brainer. And we couldn’t have chosen a better brand to partner with as the team at Bulldog and Care Bears got the concept immediately and gave us creative freedom which added authenticity to the whole project. We adore the final collection and the sales have been beyond all of our expectations. Most excitingly though is the noise and conversations it has created.” CLAIRE WOOD, founder and creative director, TruffleShuffle
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Care Bears™ and related trademarks © 2021 Those Characters From Cleveland, Inc. American Greetings with rose logo is a trademark of AGC, LLC.
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