The Care Bears are cute, colorful and have taught an entire generation about the powers of kindness and caring. Ask any child who their favorite bear is and odds are you’ll have to sit for a bit while they try to figure it out. Even myself, as a grown-up, have a difficult time listing just one (Bedtime Bear, Baby Tugs, and Bright Heart Raccoon are my top three). They’re one of the most beloved properties in children’s entertainment and It’s hard to believe the cuddly creatures are celebrating their 35th anniversary.
Created by American Greetings Card’s licensing and toy division Those Characters from Cleveland (now American Greetings Properties) after the success of Strawberry Shortcake, they were designed to be a brand that represented the core emotional values of American Greetings’ different social expressions products. They also wanted to create a plush (stuffed) toy and other products specifically geared towards children. What they ended up creating was a phenomenon that still resinates in the hearts of millions today. To start, ten bears were originally created: Bedtime, Birthday, Cheer, Friend, Funshine, Good Luck, Grumpy, Love-a-Lot, Tenderheart and Wish Bear.
The Original Care Bears
Children were introduced to the bears with a half-hour animated special called The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings. The story follows Kevin, a boy on Earth, who is upset because he has to move away from his friend, Donna, and runs away to the Land Without Feelings, which is ruled by the villainous Professor Coldheart. Coldheart turns Kevin into a strange green creature and makes him his slave. The Care Bears, along with Donna, go into the Land Without Feelings to save Kevin along with the other children the evil professor enslaved. An instant success, the special won a Silver Medal at the 1983 International Film & TV Festival of New York and was followed by another syndicated special, The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine, in 1984.
That same year, in the toy-line, a new set of characters were introduced: The Care Bear Cousins, cute and cuddly animals who heralded from the magical Forest of Feelings. Like the original bears, ten cousins were originally introduced. They were Brave Heart Lion, Bright Heart Raccoon, Cozy Heart Penguin, Gentle Heart Elephant, Loyal Heart Dog, Proud Heart Cat, Swift Heart Rabbit, and Treat Heart Pig.
The Original Care Bear Cousins
Two animated series followed and three theatrical films: The Care Bears Movie and The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (which were both incredibly successful), and The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland. A fourth film was planned, The Care Bears Nutcracker, but after Wonderland failed to meet expectations at the box office, it aired as a special episode of the successful television series, The Care Bears Family.
The Three Theatrically Released Care Bears Movies
Since their original release, nearly 70 bears and cousins have joined the Care Bears’ colorful cast of characters. They were the original Pokemon and some of the more rare bears are selling for small fortunes on sites like eBay and amazon.
Some of the more rare characters: Grams Bear with Baby Hugs and Tugs / Noble Heart Horse and True Heart Bear with cubs.
I remember receiving my first Care Bear. It was a birthday gift from my grandmother. His name was Tender Heart, and he came along with a VHS copy and a poster of The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation. I remember sitting on her lap, watching the movie snuggled up with a new friend, who would stay with me until he was lost in my move to Los Angeles. I loved the bears and watched every episode and film multiple times, even today I could probably still recite most of the lines from Care Bears in Wonderland. The brand is special like that. It’s had the power to stay with me, and millions of others like me, well into our adult lives and it’s still going strong. I honestly cannot remember a time without the Care Bears. That’s the power of this brand.
It’s cuteness wrapped up in colorful cuddliness. It’s genius.
One of the ways the property is celebrating its success is by welcoming a new character into the Care Bear family, Rainbow Heart Bear. Created as a limited edition, exclusively for the 35th Anniversary, she is colored deep purple, speckled with silver-colored glitter and features a glittered rainbow and heart for her “belly badge.” Rainbow Heart Bear combines the hugs of the rainbow with the transfer of a magical jolt of joy and a deep desire to help others.
The Limited Edition Rainbow Heart Bear
AG is also sponsoring the Create My Care Bear contest. It’s a way for fans, 12 and under, to create their own Care Bear, and one lucky grand prize winner will get their creation made into a plush bear! The contest, and all other Care Bear celebrations, will start on on September 9th, the Care Bears’ official holiday. Known as Share Your Care Day, it reminds fans of all ages to show the way they care for friends, family and others in big and small ways.
“We love the Care Bears’ core messages — who couldn’t use more sharing and caring? — and are excited that so many other top-tier brands agree on this as we approach September 9’s Share Your Care Day,” said Sean Gorman, President of American Greetings Entertainment, the intellectual property and outbound licensing division of American Greetings. “Care Bears are always about providing that extra caring hug and we’re excited to see them carry on with this mission for decades to come."
More on Share Your Care Day, Rainbow Heart Bear and the Create My Care Bear contest can be found at www.carebears.com and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/carebears. For more information regarding the Care Bears 35th Anniversary, please visit: www.carebears.com and follow #35YearsofCaring and #YearOfTheHug on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.