WildBrain Unveils New Strawberry Shortcake Series

WildBrain is set to bring the classic Strawberry Shortcake character to screens for today’s kids in the new animated series Berry in the Big City.

Berry in the Big City is slated to premiere on September 18 in an exclusive double-episode event on the official Strawberry Shortcake channel on WildBrain Spark, the company’s AVOD network on YouTube and YouTube Kids. It will be available initially in English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese, by territory.

New episodes will drop each Saturday following the premiere on Strawberry Shortcake’s official channel through June 2022. Berry in the Big City is produced by WildBrain’s Vancouver animation studio with showrunner Michael Vogel. The series sees Strawberry Shortcake travel to Big Apple City, where the biggest names in baking go to get their big break. She’s joined by her cat Custard and pals Orange Blossom, Lime Chiffon, Lemon Meringue and Blueberry Muffin, along with their own pets.

Season one of Berry in the Big City features 40×4-minute episodes 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 in development on a slate of new, CG-animated 44-minute Strawberry Shortcake family specials for a streaming platform.

Michael Riley, chief brands officer at 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.”

Vogel added: “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.”

Beginning on October 2, kids can enjoy WildBrain’s brand-new Roblox game, Baking with Strawberry Shortcake. The game 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, customizing food trucks, creating baked goods and competing in baking contests.

WildBrain is also rolling out a brand-new global franchise program specially designed for today’s children through events, toys, games, books, music, learning and experiences they can share with their parents and friends. As part of the consumer products program, WildBrain has appointed Moose Toys as Master Toy Partner for Strawberry Shortcake. The company is developing a line of new Strawberry Shortcake toys and playsets to be unveiled in early 2022.

Menal McGrath, VP of global licensing at 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.”

Further, WildBrain CPLG has expanded its existing Strawberry Shortcake partnership with Penguin Young Readers Licenses for a range of new Berry in the Big City storybooks, board books and sticker books, set to launch in 2022 in North America. Additional 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.