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Having racked up
US$2.8 billion at
retail in the last
decade, AGP’s Care
Bears are celebrating
their 30th with a
retro look and feel
Care Bears come
out of hibernation
American Greetings Properties believes it’s time to care again. And to mark the 30th anniversary
of Care Bears, AGP has inked a deal with Hasbro-owned network The Hub to bring the emotional
icons back to broadcast with a brand-new 26 x half-hour CGI series entitled Care Bears: Welcome
to Care-a-Lot, bowing on June 2.
“The kids who grew up in the ’80s are now old enough to have their own kids,” says Gabrielle
Oliff , VP of brand and marketing for AGP. “With the anniversary, it made sense to revisit the brand.”
The core elements of Care Bears will remain intact. The property’s message of sensitivity and
emotional awareness won’t change at all, but the latest design iteration purposely recalls the
original characters, rather than those pictured on products during the Care Bears’ last robust
retail outing in 2008.
“They have been chubby and they have been skinny, but the 2012 version will have the look of
the original,” says Oliff . “It’s basically a cleaned up modern version of the 1982 ones.”
The new series is also intended to age up the audience slightly from core preschool to a fi ve to
seven demo and will also feature a brand-new character, Wonderheart Bear.
“Wonderheart is basically the baby of the group,” says Oliff . “Her whole thing is to ask ‘I wonder
why?’ It’s a character we think some of the younger demographic will identify with.”
Far from being primarily a nostalgia play, in the past 10 years, licensed Care Bears products
have generated US$2.8 billion in global retail sales. Currently, the only licensing deal inked related
specifi cally to the 30th anniversary is with Hasbro for toys destined for US mass retail outlets
in 2013. But Oliff says deals for many diff erent lines, including products for older tweens and
collectors, are being negotiated. During the most recent relaunch (2008), the franchise’s roster
of licensees topped out at more than 300 diff erent companies.
“We’ll be looking to expand what we do have and grow it in the US and across the globe,” she
says. “We are looking for accessory and digital partners, including apps.”
The assortment will likely be earmarked for mass-market retail channels, with a smaller selection
headed to specialty this fall. –Gary Rusak
BookBet Captain Underpants is Back
Launched in 1997, author Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants series has sold more
than 50 million copies in North America. On August 28, publisher Scholastic will
release the ninth title in the series, Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return
of Tippy Tinkletrousers. The book is aimed at kids seven and up, and hardcover
copies will retail for US$9.99. The new tale takes the heroes, George and Harold,
back to their kindergarten days when they had to square off against sixth-grade
bully Kipper Krupp, the nephew of the school’s principal. Of course, the story
predates the invention of Captain Underpants, so the two buddies have to rely
on their wits to defeat their foe. The 10th book in the series, Captain Underpants
and the Revolting Revenge of Radioactive Robo-Boxers, is already slated for a January
2013 release. Each book will receive an English-language fi rst printing of
one million copies. –Gary Rusak
TopToys
Germany (YTD March)
1
Lego Star Wars
2012 asst.
(Lego)
Beyblade Metal Fusion
(Hasbro)
3
Simba Filly Horses
(Simba)
Lego Star Wars - Anakin’s
Jedi Interceptor
(Lego)
5
Cars 2 - 2 pack
(Mattel)
Source: NPD EuroToys EPoS panel, 73% retailer coverage
May/June 2012
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