WildBrain’s Strawberry Shortcake and Cloudco’s Care Bears Join Forces

WildBrain and Cloudco Entertainment are bringing together two of the world’s most popular 1980s kids’ brands for an all-new, strawberry-sweet, caring and sharing adventure. For generations, WildBrain’s Strawberry Shortcake and Cloudco’s Care Bears have delighted fans of all ages across the globe. Now, for the first time ever, work is underway to bring their worlds together on screen in a new, “retro-forward” 44-minute animated preschool special called The Care Berry Switch (working title), being co-developed by the talented 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.

More than just the first time that The Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake meet on screen, the special is also a loving homage to the full, 40+ year history of each brand. Chock full of fan-favorite villains, 1980s-inspired character designs and iconic memes such as “The Care Bear Stare,” this unique Strawberry Shortcake x Care Bears content collaboration will integrate the nostalgic “best ofs” for both brands in a completely contemporary production, filled with beautiful animation, humor for all age groups, unexpected plot surprises and genuine multi-generational appeal.

Steph Betts, EVP Content Creation at WildBrain, said: “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. 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, the world’s leading content market held in Cannes October 18-24. Visit WildBrain’s stand # R8.C18 to learn more.