Trailer and art unveiled for new animated
series, Berry in the Big City, from WildBrain Studios with
Showrunner Michael Vogel, one of the creative forces behind the
success of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
New series to make exclusive digital-first
debut on the WildBrain Spark AVOD network on YouTube, September 18; New Roblox game, Baking with
Strawberry Shortcake, launching October
2
Beloved girls' brand prepares to leap off
screen with fresh toys, music, books, events and more from leading
partners, including Moose Toys, Penguin Random House, Sunkist and
others
NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2021 /CNW/ - It all started over 40
years ago, with a simple Valentine's Day greeting card in
1973 – it was the auspicious birth of Strawberry Shortcake, the
sweet little girl with the bonnet who loved baking. She came to be
adored by generations of girls, who cherished the little dolls with
their signature strawberry scent. Baking, scents, friendship and
adventures have always been at the heart of Strawberry Shortcake,
and so many of today's moms have fond memories of their
childhood Strawberry Shortcake dolls and watching her shows. Now,
WildBrain, a global leader in kids' and family entertainment, is
pleased to announce that Strawberry Shortcake is back, with a cool
new look and confident, savvy attitude for today's kids in a new
animated series, Berry in the Big City, plus a brand-new
global franchise program specially designed to inspire and bring
joy to today's girls through events, toys, games, books, music,
learning and experiences they can share with their moms and
friends.
![Introducing WildBrain’s all-new Strawberry Shortcake, coming exclusively to WildBrain Spark September 18 (CNW Group/WildBrain Ltd.) Introducing WildBrain’s all-new Strawberry Shortcake, coming exclusively to WildBrain Spark September 18 (CNW Group/WildBrain Ltd.)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1611383/WildBrain_Ltd__WildBrain_Bakes_Up_An_All_New_Strawberry_Shortcak.jpg)
Michael Riley, Chief Brands
Officer, WildBrain, said: "Strawberry Shortcake has brought so much
joy to children over the years, and now we're thrilled to provide
today's generation with the opportunity to create new experiences
and memories with the brand. While staying true to what makes
Strawberry Shortcake special – her sweetness, scent and joyful
strawberry motif – this new vision aims to inspire today's girls
with relevant and empowering themes of diversity, sustainability
and entrepreneurship. We've teamed up with some amazing brand
partners and have a fantastic schedule of events, social campaigns
and activations lined up for the brand beginning this fall. Whether
it's baking with Mom in the kitchen, playing with scented dolls,
enjoying new content on YouTube, immersing themselves in Roblox, or
reading books and listening to music, today's little girls are
going to love making the new Strawberry Shortcake a big part of
their lives."
A Brand-New Era for Strawberry
Shortcake
The relaunch marks the beginning of a new era for Strawberry
Shortcake, as WildBrain takes the beloved Strawberry into the
future, fully engaging its deep expertise and resources in brand
management to activate the property with content production,
digital distribution and consumer products licensing. A wildly
popular line of toys and consumer products in the early 1980s,
Strawberry Shortcake was then licensed annually across US
$500 million worth of consumer
products. It went on to sell over five million dolls and has
generated more than US $4 billion at
retail to date. WildBrain is ready to return Strawberry Shortcake
to her glory, delivering engaging entertainment, learning and fun,
all designed to appeal to today's girls wherever they're playing
games or watching content.
The fun kicks off September 18
with the premiere of WildBrain's original new animated series,
Berry in the Big City, in an exclusive double-episode event
only on the official Strawberry Shortcake channel on WildBrain
Spark, the Company's leading AVOD network on YouTube and YouTube
Kids, where it will be available initially in English, French,
German, Spanish and Portuguese, by territory. Fans of Strawberry
Shortcake can enjoy a sneak peek of Berry in the Big City
today in the series trailer unveiled on the official channel, where
new episodes will drop each Saturday following the premiere,
through June 2022.
Strawberry Shortcake channels on WildBrain Spark:
- English -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCURCSaXYhIsnsiK-jFFZg3w
- Brazilian Portuguese -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjgMnjThnmvtWN6SgveQvlA
- French -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4FC8kdKMRS-s2PVZFiwf-Q
- German -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6kowaGLnlfv5zAgidTkEgg
- Spanish - https://www.youtube.com/c/RositaFresitaOficial
Produced by WildBrain's Vancouver animation studio – with renowned
showrunner Michael Vogel, one of the
creative forces behind the success of My Little Pony: Friendship
is Magic and the theatrical feature My Little Pony: The
Movie – Berry in the Big City finds Strawberry
Shortcake traveling to Big Apple City, where all the biggest names
in baking go to get their break. Along with her cute cat, Custard,
she teams up with her new "berry besties" – Orange Blossom, Lime
Chiffon, Lemon Meringue and Blueberry Muffin – as well as their
lovable pets. Together, the entrepreneurial girls run their
fabulous food trucks and enjoy daily adventures filled with
laughter and singing as they strive to "bake the world a better
place"!
Michael Vogel, Executive Producer
and Showrunner on Berry in the Big City, said: "Working with
WildBrain Studios to reimagine Strawberry Shortcake for Berry in
the Big City has been a dream come true. This is a sweet and
funny series, with modern, inclusive storytelling that I think
today's kids are going to love. We've captured all the adorable
sweetness of Strawberry Shortcake while giving her a cool new look
and a savvy 'can do' attitude, perfect to inspire kids to embrace
their dreams and do great things."
Season one of Berry in the Big City delivers 40 all-new
four-minute adventures in 2D animation for kids aged 3 to 6. A
second 40-episode season of Berry in the Big City has
already been greenlit, and WildBrain Studios is also in development
on a slate of new, CG-animated 44-minute Strawberry Shortcake
family specials for a major streaming platform.
Berry in the Big City also features 10 original
songs that will be released next year as animated lyric videos for
kids to sing along with and enjoy on WildBrain Spark's official
Strawberry Shortcake channel. WildBrain Spark is one of the most
popular networks of kids' and family content on YouTube and YouTube
Kids, generating billions of views per month and offering
brand-safe, premium content enjoyed each quarter by at least one in
three kids worldwide1.
From Ragdoll to Roblox, Strawberry Shortcake Graduates to 3D
Digital Gaming
In addition to starring in a brand-new series, the bonneted
little girl once famed as a popular ragdoll is graduating for the
first time to the digital universe of Roblox. Beginning
October 2, kids can enjoy WildBrain's
brand-new Roblox game, Baking with Strawberry Shortcake,
which marks the brand's debut on one of the world's most popular 3D
digital gaming platforms for kids. Baking with Strawberry
Shortcake invites fans to dive into an interactive 3D
adventure, where they can play with each other and engage with
Strawberry Shortcake and her friends in a digital world not
available anywhere else – customizing food trucks, creating amazing
baked goods and competing in baking contests.
Available across all major gaming devices, Roblox is one of the
most popular gaming platforms for kids and teens. Every day, more
than 42 million people come to Roblox – over half of them under the
age of 13 – to create adventures, play games, role play and learn
with their friends in a family-friendly, immersive, 3D
environment.
The Return of Famous Strawberry-Scented Dolls
The new Strawberry Shortcake series and Roblox game come as
WildBrain rolls out an exciting new global franchise and licensing
program for the brand. Built to heighten the experiential world of
Strawberry Shortcake, while celebrating the nostalgia today's moms
feel for the brand, the franchise program will feature new toys,
apparel, books and more, plus celebrity spotlights, social media
activations, brand partnerships, baking demonstrations and friendly
competitions – all encouraging today's parents to re-visit and
share their love of Strawberry Shortcake with their little ones.
The new program builds on the foundation of classic Strawberry
Shortcake consumer products that continues to grow as it appeals to
a sense of nostalgia in today's parents.
Central to the new consumer products program, WildBrain has
appointed Moose Toys as Master Toy Partner for Strawberry
Shortcake. Known for such innovative and highly successful toy
lines as Shopkins, Bluey, Little Live Pets and Heroes of Goo Jit
Zu, Moose has been hard at work with WildBrain's Franchise Brands
team and leading licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG, developing an
amazing line of new Strawberry Shortcake toys and playsets to be
unveiled in early 2022. Today's moms who loved Strawberry Shortcake
when they were little will be delighted to learn that Strawberry
Shortcake's signature scent is set to return in a line of
collectible dolls their daughters are sure to love.
Menal McGrath, Vice President,
Global Licensing, Moose Toys, said: "We're thrilled to collaborate
with WildBrain. Their position as a 'new generation' kids'
entertainment leader makes them the ideal partner to introduce
today's kids to such a beloved and iconic property. This
aspirational, fun and fresh reimagining of Strawberry Shortcake
gives us an incredibly exciting platform to deliver
never-before-seen, 'wow' products that will redefine how consumers
see and experience the brand."
Additionally, WildBrain CPLG has expanded its existing
Strawberry Shortcake partnership with Penguin Young Readers
Licenses, an imprint of Penguin Random House, for a range of new
Berry in the Big City story books, board books and sticker
books, set to launch in 2022 in North
America.
Other household-name brands launching new Strawberry Shortcake
partnerships at retail beginning in early 2022 include Naturipe
(strawberries and blueberries), Sunkist Growers (oranges, lemons
and limes), Envy Apples (apples), Langers (juice), Zolli Candy (dentist-approved lollipops),
Dippin' Dots (ice cream), Snip-Its (kids hair salons), Challenge
Butter (butter) and more.
About Strawberry Shortcake
WildBrain's Strawberry Shortcake is one of the world's
most-adored brands. Since her creation in 1973, with the release of
a simple Valentine's Day greeting card, Strawberry Shortcake has
grown and evolved with new content, toys and experiences for each
new generation of kids. Parents who loved her when they were young,
can now share a fresh new Strawberry Shortcake with their children
through the all-new original WildBrain series Berry in the Big
City, as well as through new toys, books, games, apparel,
events – and of course, dolls, which still boast their iconic
scent. Previous Strawberry Shortcake content in WildBrain's
library, including the series Strawberry Shortcake and
Berry Bitty Adventures, and the animated movies Sky's the
Limit and The Sweet Dreams Movie, continues to delight
young audiences on streaming and broadcast platforms worldwide.
With an international presence that has generated over US 4$
billion in retail sales since its first launch, Strawberry
Shortcake is a true character-brand phenomenon that is cherished by
kids and families worldwide.
Visit Strawberry Shortcake at: www.strawberryshortcake.com
Facebook: @strawberryshortcake
Instagram: @strawberryshortcake
Twitter: @Iamstrawberry
About Berry in the Big City
Strawberry Shortcake has big dreams! She believes with all her
heart that a perfectly baked treat can brighten someberry's day!
And in the brand-new animated WildBrain series, Berry in the Big
City, she is determined to "bake the world a better place" one
cupcake at a time! That was never gonna happen back in her hometown
of Berryville. Which is why Strawberry Shortcake packed her bags,
grabbed her cat, Custard, and headed to the ONE place all the
biggest names in baking go to get their big break: BIG APPLE CITY!
If you can bake it there you can bake it ANYWHERE! In the 'Big
Apple' bakers are the celebrities! The social influencers!
Strawberry Shortcake is certain she's got what it takes to be the
next big thing...she just has to prove it! Fortunately, with the
help of her new 'berry besties' – Orange Blossom, Lime Chiffon,
Lemon Meringue and Blueberry Muffin – along with their lovable
pets, a lucky mixing spoon and her fabulous new food truck,
Strawberry Shortcake has all the ingredients she needs to "bake the
magic happen". It's not gonna be easy, but Strawberry Shortcake is
no ordinary berry and she can't WAIT to show the world what she can
do!
1. One in three
kids – based on unique viewers on WildBrain Spark as a % of the
global kids' audience on YouTube on a quarterly
basis.
|
For more information, please contact:
Media: Shaun Smith - Director,
Corporate & Trade Communications, WildBrain
shaun.smith@wildbrain.com
+1 416-977-7230
Investor Relations: Nancy Chan-Palmateer - Director,
Investor Relations, WildBrain
nancy.chanpalmateer@wildbrain.com
+1 416-977-7358
About WildBrain
At WildBrain we inspire imaginations to run wild, engaging kids
and families everywhere with great content across all media. With
approximately 13,000 half-hours of filmed entertainment in our
library – one of the world's most extensive – we are home to such
brands as Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry
Shortcake, Caillou, Inspector Gadget, Johnny Test and Degrassi. At our
75,000-square-foot state-of-the-art animation studio in
Vancouver, BC, we produce such
fan-favourite series as The Snoopy Show, Snoopy in
Space, Chip & Potato, Carmen Sandiego, Go, Dog. Go! and more. Our
shows are enjoyed worldwide in more than 150 countries on over 500
streaming platforms and telecasters, and our AVOD business –
WildBrain Spark – offers one of the largest networks of kids'
channels on YouTube, garnering billions of views per month from
over 150 million subscribers. We also license consumer products and
location-based entertainment in every major territory for our own
properties as well as for our clients and content partners. Our
television group owns and operates four family entertainment
channels that are among the most viewed in Canada. WildBrain is headquartered in
Canada with offices worldwide and
trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: WILD). Please visit us
at wildbrain.com.
About Moose
Moose Toys exists to make children Superhappy. It's at the heart
of everything we do. The team has innovation in its DNA and is
famous for the design, development and manufacture of award-winning
toys that continue to disrupt the market! Moose Toys leads in
categories including collectibles, craft, dolls, games and youth
electronics and is consistently recognized as the most creative
company in the industry. We are a family-run business, but that
doesn't mean we are small-time. We shook up the toy industry in
2014 with the global phenomenon Shopkins, and through these
pint-sized characters, we reinvigorated the way children play. Not
satisfied to stop at toys, we have also stretched ourselves into
creating content, entertainment and making worldwide licensing
deals. Moose calls Australia home,
but our 500-strong team is scattered globally, spreading the
Superhappy.
About Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House, the world's largest trade book publisher,
is dedicated to its mission of nourishing a universal passion for
reading by connecting authors and their writing with readers
everywhere. The company, which employs more than 10,000 people
globally, was formed on July 1, 2013,
by Bertelsmann and Pearson. As of April 1,
2020, Bertelsmann is full owner of the company. With more
than 300 imprints and brands on six continents, Penguin Random
House comprises adult and children's fiction and nonfiction print
and digital English- German- and Spanish-language trade book
publishing businesses in more than 20 countries worldwide. With
over 15,000 new titles, and more than 600 million print, audio and
eBooks sold annually, Penguin Random House's publishing lists
include more than 80 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the
world's most widely read authors.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" under
applicable securities laws with respect to the Company including,
without limitation, statements regarding Strawberry Shortcake brand
plans and the business strategies and operational activities of
WildBrain Ltd. (the "Company"). Although the Company believes that
the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are
reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and are
based on information currently available to the Company. Actual
results or events may differ materially from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could
cause actual results or events to differ materially from current
expectations, among other things, include the availability of
investment opportunities and at acceptable valuations, epidemics,
pandemics or other public health crises, including the current
outbreak of COVID-19, the magnitude and length of economic
disruption as a result of the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, and risk
factors discussed in materials filed with applicable securities
regulatory authorities from time to time including matters
discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Annual
Information Form and annual Management Discussion and Analysis.
These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof,
and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to
reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.
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