WildBrain and Cloudco Entertainment are bringing together two of the world’s most popular 1980s kids’ brands for an all-new animated adventure: Strawberry Shortcake and The Care Bears.
For the first time ever, the worlds of WildBrain’s Strawberry Shortcake and Cloudco’s Care Bears will unite on screen in a new, “retro-forward” 44-minute animated preschool special called The Care Berry Switch (working title), being co-developed by the creative teams at both companies, with WildBrain Studios poised to lead animation production.
Beloved characters Strawberry Shortcake and Cheer Bear have never met, but in The Care Berry Switch, when they each wish upon the same star for a new adventure, they open a magical portal that allows them to switch places and explore one another’s worlds.
As “fish out of water,” with Strawberry in Care-A-Lot and Cheer Bear with The Berries in Strawberryland, tons of humor, magic, fun and new friendships ensue. But trouble looms as the iconic Strawberry foe, Purple Pie Man, and the Care Bears’ long-time nemesis, No Heart, conspire to cause chaos, compelling the Care Bears and The Berries to team up to save the worlds they love and preserve the wonderful new friendships they’ve made.
As well as a first crossover, the special is also an homage to the 40-plus-year history of each brand. Full of fan-favorite villains, 1980s-inspired character designs and memes such as “The Care Bear Stare,” this Strawberry Shortcake x Care Bears content collaboration will integrate the nostalgic “best ofs” for both brands in a completely contemporary production, highlighting beautiful animation, humor for all ages, plot surprises and multi-generational appeal.
“Bringing these two much-loved and instantly recognizable brands together for the first time was an opportunity too good to miss, with their shared ethos of sweetness and friendship perfect for crossover adventures and fun,” said Steph Betts, EVP Content Creation at WildBrain. “It’s exciting to collaborate with our colleagues at Cloudco to bring this shared vision to life and deliver something extra special to the millions of Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears fans around the world.”
Ian Lambur, EVP Content Strategy at Cloudco, added, “It’s not often when one can deliver something that is unprecedented, fun and surprising, so it’s particularly satisfying to be able to do that here with two iconic brands at once. Both brands are inherently magical and charming in their own right, so we cannot wait to show off all the exponential wonder and fun that results when these two worlds crossover.”
WildBrain and Cloudco will be bringing the new Strawberry Shortcake x Care Bears project to MIPCOM (October 18-24). Visit WildBrain’s stand R8.C18 to learn more.
