LSB Care Bears Supplement Spring 23

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.

In 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 nostalgia and feelgood moments that amplify the brand’s appeal.

“The DNA of Care Bears is especially relevant today,” says Roubina Tchoboian, vp international licensing, Cloudco Entertainment. “We have gone through a global pandemic, political conflicts and feeble economies, but our evergreen brand values centred around spreading sharing, caring, friendship and togetherness are universally uplifting and hopeful.”

Care Bears’ birthday celebrations saw over 50 exclusive collections launched to market. These included luxury knitwear from Chinti & Parker; homewares, apparel and accessories –

including new teenage sizing – from Cath Kidston; accessories and apparel for both kids and adults from Shein (available globally), and beauty collabs with Wet N Wild, Lights Lacquer and Hipdot. Then, of course, there were toys…

Above: Roubina Tchoboian, vp international licensing, Cloudco Entertainment.

First introduced in 1982 through greeting cards, Care Bears has grown to become one of the most beloved children’s properties in the world, active across a range of consumer product categories. They first appeared on screen in TV specials in 1983 and 1984, followed by a long-running animated TV series and a Care Bears Movie trilogy in 1985-7, and most recently in 2D animated series Care Bears: Unlock the Magic. In the US, HBO Max and Cartoon Network have greenlit six new 22-minute Unlock the Magic specials, with production currently underway. Additionally, season 1 of the 2D animated series (48 x 11-minute regular episodes and two 22-minute specials) has been extended into early 2027 for linear and streaming platforms.

“Since 1982, our plush toys have been a key driver,” explains Roubina. “This year, we expressed our love for the earth with the introduction of I Care Bear, made from recycled materials, with our master toy partners, Basic Fun in the US, Canada and UK, and Headstart International in AUS. We also introduced Dream Bright Bear and Care-a-Lot Bear – specially designed to mark our 40th anniversary – into the toy line, while Care Bears and Walmart’s fashion doll brand, My Life As, came together to create a slumber party-themed line of limitededition fashion and baby dolls.”

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

40 YEARS OF CARING

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.”

Above: Kristeen Tibbits, vp marketing, Cloudco Entertainment

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.

Based on Care Bears’ success in the toy space in 2022, Holly Lackey, Basic Fun’s head of marketing, has high hopes for the coming year.

“We have had a second consecutive year of growth and launched multiple new bears – and we have even more to come in 2023,” says Holly –who describes herself as “Grumpy Bear most days, with a touch of True Heart Bear”.

Care Bears’ 40th birthday year saw the launch of pocketsized, pocket-money-priced Care Bear Minis, which flew off the shelves and are heading into their third wave of characters in 2023. Other launches included themed costumed Care Bears plush, several brand-new Care Bears Besties, glitter-belly bean plush, and, of course, the debut of the 40th anniversary special edition Care Bear – Care-a-Lot Bear – who was the star attraction of the table centrepieces at The

Licensing Awards

in September.

Getting behind the brand’s big 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 meet-and-greet event at Hamleys, collaborated with influencers and content creators with several influencer gifting campaigns, and rolled out a unique, crossgenerational parent and child Care Bears YouTube preroll campaign.”

New for 2023, Dare to Care Bear is bold, strong and fierce – and nothing ever gets in her way. “She goes out of her way to be polite and loving, and her goal is to teach acceptance and show kindness to all,” Holly explains. “Her belly badge is a pair of smiling stars leaving a rainbow trail of kindness, compassion and acceptance around her.” Dare to Care Bear will be introduced into the toy range in a variety of sizes and finishes, including a 22cm bean plush, 35cm medium plush and 60cm jumbo plush.

From Minis for tiny hands to grab, to giant 90cm Care Bears “ready for huge hugs”, the Basic Fun! toy line offers something for everyone, with each product carefully designed to communicate Care Bears’ core values.

“It’s super-important that positivity and inclusivity are key messages to share with kids of today,” says Holly. “We’re doing that by working with Cloudco Entertainment and introducing new characters like Togetherness Bear, and Dare to Care Bear [in 2023]. We will also be extending the Care Bears’ caring for the Earth mission with a series of bean plush and mediumsized plush made from recyclable materials. 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.”

Above: Holly Lackey, Basic Fun’s head of marketing.

Sharing the love

With 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

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!”

Above: Sophie Yates, brand manager, Bulldog Licensing.

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

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.

The 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

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

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.

“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.

forward to working with Care Bears hopefully In the near future!”

Anisah

Taj, director, The Knot Churros

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.

Fashion 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

“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

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

with delicate embroidered detailing.

“They chose to focus their collection on core bears Cheer, Grumpy, Funshine and Good Luck Bear to enhance the mission of encouraging everyone to share their feelings and the expression of human emotion,” explains Sophie. “The brand appeals to all, which is why it has a place both in high-end as well as at mass market.”

The success of the fashion collaborations and their marketing has pushed others to really 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

younger teens have seen the collaborations and the ranges targeted at adults and so the demand has increased for apparel for this younger age demographic.”

Online retailers TruffleShuffle and Very Neko both developed ranges specially for the 40th anniversary. TruffleShuffle focused on the classic watercolour artwork from the 80’s, while Very Neko’s range was centred around Care-a-Lot, the special 40th anniversary Care Bear. Across apparel and accessories, both collections were extremely well received by fans, says Sophie.

There’s certainly more to come for 2023, with Sophie saying prospective fashion partners simply need to have a love for the brand and a strong creative drive. “We always work with partners who have as much of a passion for Care Bears as we dothey’ll be that much more determined to make the collaboration a success,” she concludes.

“Our aim at Cath Kidston is to bring joy with our hand-painted prints and paired with Care Bears this

caring for Christmas.”

Holly

Marler, creative director, Cath Kidston

Partner power

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

put all our passion into the prints”

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

Tand 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”

“T

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.”

“We

“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 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

“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.”

“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

Ben

Lowe, director, Roy Lowe & Sons

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

Care Bears™ and related trademarks © 2023 Those Characters From Cleveland, LLC.

* *Image from @neyve_mckailxx