LSB Care Bears Supplement Spring 23

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40 YEARS OF CARING

A global evergreen For four decades, Care Bears have been sharing their uplifting message of kindness, friendship and positivity and capturing our hearts and imaginations. And – like all the best things in life – they continue to get even better with age.

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n 2022, Care Bears’ 40th anniversary year, innovative influencer and retail partnerships and social media activations, as well as brand-new bears joining the line-up, continued to bring Gen Alpha into the fandom while providing the rest of us with welcome hits of including new teenage sizing – from Cath nostalgia and feelgood Kidston; accessories and apparel for both moments that amplify kids and adults from Shein (available the brand’s appeal. globally), and beauty collabs with Wet N “The DNA of Care Wild, Lights Lacquer and Hipdot.

Bears is especially Then, of course, there were toys… relevant today,” says Roubina Tchoboian, vp Above: Roubina Tchoboian, “Since 1982, our plush toys have been a international licensing, vp international licensing, key driver,” explains Roubina. “This year, we expressed our love for the earth with Cloudco Entertainment. Cloudco Entertainment. the introduction of I “We have gone through Care Bear, made from a global pandemic, recycled materials, political conflicts and First introduced in 1982 through with our master toy feeble economies, but our greeting cards, Care Bears has partners, Basic Fun in evergreen brand values grown to become one of the most the US, Canada and centred around spreading beloved children’s properties in UK, and Headstart sharing, caring, friendship the world, active across a range International in AUS. and togetherness are of consumer product categories.

We also introduced They first appeared on screen in TV universally uplifting and specials in 1983 and 1984, followed Dream Bright Bear hopeful.” by a long-running animated TV and Care-a-Lot Bear Care Bears’ birthday series and a Care Bears Movie – specially designed celebrations saw trilogy in 1985-7, and most recently to mark our 40th over 50 exclusive in 2D animated series Care Bears: anniversary – into the collections Unlock the Magic. In the US, HBO toy line, while Care launched to Max and Cartoon Network have Bears and Walmart’s greenlit six new 22-minute Unlock market. These the Magic specials, with production fashion doll brand, included currently underway. Additionally, My Life As, came luxury season 1 of the 2D animated series together to create a knitwear (48 x 11-minute regular episodes and slumber party-themed from Chinti & two 22-minute specials) has been line of limitedParker; homewares, extended into early 2027 for linear edition fashion apparel and and streaming platforms. and baby dolls.” accessories –

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40 YEARS OF CARING

Above: Kristeen Tibbits, vp marketing, Cloudco Entertainment

The wealth of new product has resulted in an uptick at retail and seen the brand enter new partnerships.

“In Australia, we’ve grown the apparel business into specialty retailers such as Cotton On, Blackmilk Clothing and Jay Jays, with amazing results,” says Roubina. “In Asia, we have opportunities to expand our partnership with Baskin-Robbins with the success of their Care Bears retail takeover, and our co-branded collaboration in Seoul with Kakao Friends has led us to explore other opportunities for co-branded consumer experiences.” The UK market is also strong; a half-price promotion at Tesco in October saw plush flying off the shelves before the event even began.

Care Bears may be 40, but no one can say they don’t move with the times.

This year, they entered the NFT space via partnerships with The Sandbox and RECUR, and there’s a strategy in place to keep them culturally relevant for years

to come, as Kristeen Tibbits, vp marketing, Cloudco Entertainment, explains. “Our motto for 2023 is Dare to Care! Our goal is to have brand activations around the globe, introduce new Care Bears Besties, connect with communities, and continue to promote a wide variety of product ranges at our mass retailers, as well as highend retailers.

“Childhood stories about Care Bears make waves across social media every single day. Adults who are young at heart are re-collecting Care Bears, remembering which characters got their collections started. We’ll continue to connect with lifestyle influencers and young, social media-savvy fans via Instagram on key brand and product campaigns. We’re on a caring mission with Little Dot Studios to reach the hearts of our younger audience on YouTube through meaningful content, and we’ll always be eager to pursue new digital platforms, like TikTok and Web3, to amplify our message of sharing and caring.”

The brand’s crossgenerational appeal is one of the keys to its longevity. In September, Care Bears’ Share Your Care Day partner, Just Hype, organised a launch party in its Carnaby Street store in London. “You should have seen the line of people queuing in the pouring rain,” says Roubina. “It was such a mix of generations, between the kids who wanted to see a reallife Cheer Bear and the adults who wanted to experience the retail space filled with Care Bears.”

As Kristeen concludes: “Care Bears offers a safe space and sense of community for people of all ages, adding value to lives with the sole purpose of sparking joy with characters that connect with human emotions.

We want to continue to be known for that and take care to nurture brand love for years to come.”

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TOY SUCCESS

Play favourites Care Bears’ master toy partner Basic Fun! continues to innovate, with a host of inclusive, colourful and irresistibly huggable launches for the ‘newstalgic’ brand lined up for 2023.

Licensing Awards in September.

Above: Holly Getting behind Lackey, Basic Fun’s the brand’s big head of marketing. birthday celebrations, Basic Fun! also launched a range of in-store promotions and social media activations. “We took over retail windows with beautiful 40th anniversary branding, hosted a ased on Care Bears’ meet-and-greet event at Hamleys, success in the toy collaborated with influencers and space in 2022, Holly content creators with Lackey, Basic Fun’s several influencer gifting head of marketing, campaigns, and rolled has high hopes for out a unique, crossthe coming year.

New for 2023, Dare to Care Bear is generational parent and bold, strong and fierce – and nothing “We have had a child Care Bears YouTube ever gets in her way. “She goes out second consecutive of her way to be polite and loving, preroll campaign.” year of growth and and her goal is to teach acceptance From Minis for tiny hands launched multiple new and show kindness to all,” Holly to grab, to giant 90cm bears – and we have explains. “Her belly badge is a pair Care Bears “ready for even more to come of smiling stars leaving a rainbow huge hugs”, the Basic Fun! in 2023,” says Holly – trail of kindness, compassion and toy line offers something acceptance around her.” Dare to who describes herself for everyone, with each Care Bear will be introduced into as “Grumpy Bear most the toy range in a variety of sizes product carefully designed days, with a touch of and finishes, including a 22cm bean to communicate Care True Heart Bear”. plush, 35cm medium plush and Bears’ core values.

Care Bears’ 40th 60cm jumbo plush.

“It’s super-important that birthday year saw positivity and inclusivity the launch of pocketare key messages to share sized, pocket-money-priced Care Bear with kids of today,” says Minis, which flew off the shelves and Holly. “We’re doing that are heading into their third wave of by working with Cloudco Entertainment characters in 2023. Other launches included and introducing new characters like themed costumed Care Bears plush, several Togetherness Bear, and Dare to Care Bear brand-new Care Bears Besties, glitter-belly [in 2023]. We will also be extending the bean plush, and, of course, the debut of Care Bears’ caring for the Earth mission the 40th anniversary special edition Care with a series of bean plush and mediumBear – Care-a-Lot Bear – who was the star sized plush made from recyclable materials. attraction of the table centrepieces at The I can also say that this year, Care Bears will be offering more than hugs at home; we will steal even more hearts and take the sharing and caring to the playground with a new ‘Tiny is Mighty!’ collectable range. Come and visit us at Toy Fair stand D11 to find out more.”

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THE UK LICENSING PROGRAMME

Sharing the love Bulldog Licensing has overseen yet another successful year for Care Bears in the UK market, with new partnerships established across fashion, food, and more.

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ith 98% awareness among kids and adults, Care Bears is, unsurprisingly, something of a magnet for licensees wanting to give their products a sprinkling of magic, as well as for retailers looking for sure-fire bestsellers.

“We now have over 40 licensees on board in the UK, across multiple categories including apparel, gifting, homewares and stationery,” says Sophie Yates, brand manager at Bulldog Licensing. “Each licensee has its place in the licensing programme for Care Bears, with its own unique designs, target markets and place at retail.”

Last time LSB caught up with Sophie, the Bulldog team were busy working towards the 40th anniversary for Care Bears, and it seems their hard work and planning has paid off.

Says Sophie: “We’ve seen increased presence across retail for Care Bears this year, and successful collaborations for both fashion and food which have been excitedly received by fans. The strength of the brand is undeniable.”

Softlines is a particularly robust sector for Care Bears. “Previously the focus was on ladies’ apparel, but we’ve seen an increased demand for men’s apparel, as well as for kids and babies,” explains Sophie. The brand’s 40th birthday was marked with a range of fashion collaborations with the likes of Chinti & Parker, Just Hype and Cath Kidston. “Each collaboration was supported heavily across

Above: Sophie Yates, brand manager, Bulldog Licensing.

social media, and it was great to see the fans’ reactions as the collections launched,” says Sophie. “We’ve also worked with DCK, who developed a range of kids’ jewellery and hair accessories. And we had two brilliant food collaborations, with The Knot Churros and Bubblewrap Waffles in London.”

Accessories and gifting have also grown as retailers have looked to expand the range of Care Bears products they offer, while the debut of new Care Bears, including Dream Bright, Superstar and Daydream, from master toy partner Basic Fun, as well as baby plush from Sambro, have resulted in an uplift in toy sales.

The Bulldog team are always keen to explore new areas and are continually on the lookout for potential opportunities, as well as encouraging existing partners to expand their ranges. “Health & Beauty is an area that has performed extremely well internationally and we’re keen to explore further in the UK,” says Sophie. “We’d also love to see a greater range of products for babies to sit alongside apparel and baby feature plush.”

New and refreshed style guides are now available to ensure the brand remains on-trend for years to come. “The love for Care Bears will continue,” Sophie concludes, “so we’re excited for the next 40 years!”

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FOOD COLLABORATIONS

Tasty treats Following the success of a number of international food collaborations, the team at Bulldog Licensing had been on the lookout for similar opportunities in the UK. Step forward The Knot Churros and Bubblewrap Waffles.

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he Care Bears vibrant colours and personalities are perhaps the perfect inspiration for collaborations within the food and beverage sector. Indeed, numerous partners have already brought to life innovative and delicious products.

These include The Knot Churros which, in a UK first, specially designed an exclusive Care Bears menu which was available for a month during last summer at its South Kensington Café.

The food dining experience included a range of deserts inspired by a specific Care Bear - such as Care-a-Lot which came with pink and blue candyfloss, and Good Luck bear which had lucky charm sprinkles and green candyfloss. There was also in-store window décor, while the café was kitted out with plush for the full Instagrammable experience.

Meanwhile, having already worked with

Bubblewrap in the past, Bulldog knew that it would be a great fit for a collaboration with the Care Bears characters. Bubblewrap created a special Care Bears bubble waffle – topped with strawberries, honeycomb gelato, white chocolate and a rainbow of sprinkles which was available exclusively at its China Town store for a month including October half-term.

A core driver for promoting both collaborations was social media. “The Knot and Bubblewrap utilised their own channels while Care Bears happily supported photos and information about the collaborations across Instagram and Facebook,” says Sophie Yates, brand manager at Bulldog Licensing. “The teams heavily promoted the collaboration with fun reels and food preparation content which reached such a wide audience. Fans in turn also posted and shared their own content as well, which is always great to see.

“We’re excited to do more food collaborations (not just because it’s great getting to taste the samples!). We’re always on the lookout for other potential partners, whether it’s for limited timed collaborations such as those we’ve done to date, or for a permanent fixture.”

“It has been an amazing experience to work together with such an iconic brand such as Care Bears. The collaboration has been tremendously well received by our customer base.

Using carefully sourced ingredients, the new flavour combination specially created incorporates reference to Care Bears’ very special mission that captures a human emotion in each character.”

Andre Wibowo, operations manager, Bubblewrap

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FOOD COLLABORATIONS

“I was thrilled to be a part of the Care Bears experience, collaborating with a global brand which has been a part of my childhood.

At The Knot Churros, providing a magical experience for young people has always been a part of our brand ethos.

Therefore, when we were approached by Care Bears it was the perfect fit. Our customers loved our dessert products with a Care Bears twist, a brand they know and love. We were sad to see the licensing period end, but we are looking forward to working with Care Bears hopefully In the near future!”

Anisah Taj, director, The Knot Churros

International highlights For the last two years, the Care Bears brand has been incredibly active in the food category. It has been strategic in collaboration with amazing artisans to increase brand awareness, in addition to partnering with major restaurant chains.

2021 saw the launch of the Care Bears x Baskin Robbins store in Seoul, South Korea, which received an overwhelmingly positive reception. “We are currently ranking in their top five among 1,300 stores in South Korea,” says Kristeen Tibbits, vp marketing at Cloudco Entertainment. “These opportunities have served us well in terms of exposure and our fans always ask for more.”

North America also continues to bring in more sugary-sweet pop-up collaborations such as Pinkbox Doughnuts, Dough and Arrow and Kurimu in the US, and iHalo Krunch, Bunners Bakeshop and Eva’s Original Chimneys in Canada.

Kristeen continues: “We’re seeing this success translate into consumer products like our range of cereal, sparkling water, popcorn and espresso

chocolate available exclusively at FYE; seasonal sprinkle mixes and cupcake toppers from Sprinkle Pop; an assortment of exclusive limited edition treats and co-branded merch from XO Marshmallow; and sold out Care Bears waffle maker and toaster from Uncanny Brands.”

In addition, a programme of licensed scent stationery, activity kits and art supplies has recently launched with Kangaru Brands, with more to come as this category expands globally.

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FASHION COLLABORATIONS

Well dressed One of the strengths of the Care Bears brand is its ability to adapt to trends and styles, while retaining its essence and familiarity, something ably showcased within the fashion category.

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ashion is undoubtedly a key category for Care Bears, and one where the brand has seen a lot of success.

“The Care Bears characters have had a few different looks over the past 40 years meaning there is a style for everybody,” says Sophie Yates, brand manager at Bulldog Licensing. “Cloudco have a brilliant creative team who work hard to deliver style guides and assets not only for partners to take and use directly, but also to act as inspiration for partners to design their own versions which are suitable for their target market no matter the age or gender.”

The recent collaboration with Cath Kidston was a great example of this. “We admired the brilliant collaborations they’ve launched over the past few years and have been eager to work with them,” says Sophie.

“We really felt that their aesthetic lent itself with the softer classic watercolour artwork of the bears. Cath Kidston’s designs are beautifully vibrant, full of florals which blend perfectly with the colourful assortment of Care Bears characters.”

The resulting limited edition collection covered categories including nightwear and daywear for ladies and kids, accessories, as well as giftware such as glasses, tea towels and aprons, while there was also a special Christmas print set in a winter wonderland.

Meanwhile, a collaboration with Just Hype covered apparel and accessories including t-shirts, jumpers, hoodies, jackets, shorts, leggings, bag and hats inspired by the synergies of both brands – expression and individuality. The launch was supported by a party at Just Hype’s flagship store in London’s Carnaby Street, which was given a full Care Bears makeover, with hundreds of fans queuing to check out the collection.

Chinti & Parker also made an impression during 2022 with its collection of high-end wool and cashmere knitwear, cotton tees and oversized hoodies, with the pieces finished

“After working with some of the biggest brands in the world, collaborating with Care Bears to celebrate their 40th anniversary only felt right. We put our twist on Care Bears’ signature pastel colour palette to create an array of exciting apparel and accessory developments, enticing our returning, current and new customers.

Launch day created a roadblock at our Carnaby, London flagship store, where the decor and activations replicated the inside of a pastel-coloured Care Bear arcade grabber machine.”

Jade Bell, marketing manager, HYPE

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FASHION COLLABORATIONS

“Our aim at Cath Kidston is to bring joy with our hand-painted prints and paired with Care Bears this charm became unstoppable. Inspired by the comforting 1980’s watercolours of the characters and their mission to spread love, we also put their delightful belly badges into the prints. So synonymous with our brand icons, and with our shared duty, this collaboration seemed a dream come true. We lovingly painted these characters in beautiful scenery - psychedelic clouds, blousey roses, and beautiful dreamscapes where even the stars smile.

With the amazing rainbow colours and heart warming messages, it was truly wonderful to design a creation of caring for Christmas.”

Holly Marler, creative director, Cath Kidston

younger teens have seen the collaborations with delicate embroidered detailing. and the ranges targeted at adults and so “They chose to focus their collection on the demand has increased for apparel core bears Cheer, Grumpy, Funshine and for this younger age Good Luck Bear to demographic.” enhance the mission of There’s certainly more encouraging everyone to Online retailers TruffleShuffle and to come for 2023, with share their feelings and Very Neko both developed ranges Sophie saying prospective the expression of human specially for the 40th anniversary. fashion partners simply emotion,” explains Sophie.

TruffleShuffle focused on the need to have a love for “The brand appeals to classic watercolour artwork from the brand and a strong all, which is why it has a the 80’s, while Very Neko’s range was centred around Care-a-Lot, the creative drive. “We always place both in high-end as special 40th anniversary Care Bear. work with partners who well as at mass market.”

Across apparel and accessories, have as much of a passion The success of the both collections were extremely well for Care Bears as we do fashion collaborations received by fans, says Sophie. and their marketing has they’ll be that much more determined to make the pushed others to really collaboration a success,” she concludes. take note of Care Bears, says Sophie, with the brand seeing increased listings across multiple retailers as a reflection of this. “The brand is also aspirational - children and

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LICENSEE FEEDBACK

Partner power

Over the course of 40 years, Care Bears has inspired numerous licensees and retailers across a host of categories.

“We put all our passion into the prints”

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he collaboration with Cath Kidston was a particular highlight from 2022, with the company’s creative director, Holly Marler, saying that it came “very naturally” because of what the characters stand for – kindness and inclusivity for all.

Cath Kidston begins every collaboration by looking at the brand’s print designs and highlighting the aligned values.

The prints were inspired by the original 1980s’ watercolour paintings of the Care Bears, with Holly saying that the ‘loose’ style of watercolours meant they could be quite free with the painting.

“In our Believe print you can see the loose paint marks gradually morphing in the flowers with the hidden Care Bears icons in between,” Holly offers. “The Care Bears icons are similar to ours – clouds, stars with little faces, love hearts

and cupcakes, so we were well practised in painting these, and our flowers complemented them perfectly.”

Of course, each of the Care Bears also has their own personality, and this also played into the design.

Holly continues: “My favourite Bear is Cheer Bear, as she is so optimistic and always cheers on her friends.

This is important to us at Cath, we are an allwomen design team and we always look out for each other and cheer each other on. She is also pink which is my favourite colour. She looked perfect sitting in the yellow rose bed on a lilac base.”

“We all have warm fuzzy memories of Care Bears”

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he team here at TruffleShuffle grew up with Care Bears - from our school lunch boxes to our favourite plush toys, we all have warm fuzzy memories,” says Aby Sollitt-Davis, brand director at TruffleShuffle. “The 40th anniversary has been so much fun to design and the perfect opportunity to focus on the iconic prints and choose the colours and details that bring all these childhood memories flooding back.”

Aby says that the team’s favourites from the collection included the Cloud Scene Smock Dress and the All Over Cloud Knitted Cardigan, explaining: “Purposely keeping the collection.

Aby cites the creative freedom afforded by the brand as being key to meaning TruffleShuffle could design a broad collection – from classic t-shirts through to detailed dresses. “We have

also seen great success with our washed techniques, adding that authentic vintage look and feel to the collection,” she says. “It also means we can continue to bring a variety of new lines throughout the year that the fans love.”

Aby continues: “We are excited for 2023 where you will see the product areas grow for Care Bears as we build on the success of past years.

Those best-loved items released with a twist of colour, scale and new Bears, and vintage nods, and an evergrowing variety of product categories.

We are guided by our fans here at TruffleShuffle, so 2023 is where we will bring these wishes and visions to life.”

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LICENSEE FEEDBACK “We’ve loved working with Care Bears for the last couple of years and are very much looking forward to the next. The ranges continue to prove extremely popular, especially the Rainbow shock case which has been in our bestsellers list since the beginning.”

Lewis Blitz, co-founder, Skinnydip

“Care Bears for us is the epitome of nostalgia for Millennials, and hits younger audiences with its newer look. It was a no brainer to pair the brand with our super cosy socks as a perfect gift at Christmas, and on the fashion side, Primark and ASOS have loved the brand on more trend led sports style socks.”

Ben Lowe, director, Roy Lowe & Sons

“Care Bears continues to go from strength to strength, and in these uncertain times, people fall back on to a brand they know and trust.

This perfectly positions Care Bears to continue its growth and success to the next level. A brand with broad appeal for all ages an even broader product range and an ever-widening gender demographic, Care Bears never fails to warm the heart.”

Richard Radford, head of licensing, Bioworld International

“It has been fantastic to collaborate with Care Bears in their 40th anniversary year, with our stationery range, exclusive to Primark and our own collection of lighting and beauty gifts. I grew up in the 1980s and adored the Care Bears, so it really is great to see them being loved by a whole new generation.”

Zoe Ryan, head of marketing, Fizz Creations

“With retro brands having a comeback over the last few years, Care Bears has been very popular. The retro loveable bear reminds consumers of their childhood and brings back that wholesome nostalgic feel. Here at Blues Group, our team have loved designing and developing one of their childhood favourites. We’re excited to see how this brand develops over the coming years.”

Charlotte Baker, general manager, Blues Group

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Care Bears™ and related trademarks © 2023 Those Characters From Cleveland, LLC. *Image from @neyve_mckailxx

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