Caramel Bear was a Teddy Bear character and Toy Franchise made by Sanrio in 2002 for a campaign that was on the Japanese Sanrio Wave Website.
The Caramel Bear was made as a merchandising campaign for the 100th Anniversary of Teddy Bears, and so, this caramel-colored bear with a comforting vibe and an endearing smile was chosen for the campaign. Most of the Caramel Bear plushies were made out of Mohair fabric and had German glass eyes to give a cute appearance. The Caramel Bear campaign website launched on April 14, 2002.
In order to separate themselves from other teddy bears, the creator Mii Shimizu suggested the idea of the different bears being made for different months; but only certain months got made into bears out of the entire Caramel Bear lifespan. There was Stephanie the May Bear, Cecil the June Bear, Tom the July Bear, Nancy the August Bear, Marie the September Bear, Cynthia the October Bear, Steve the November Bear, and last but not least Angel the December Bear. All of these Bears were sold though Sanrio Character Planet, a store for novelty goods. The Caramel Bear page rotated until June 25th, 2003, where only Stephanie would show up: but surprisingly Character Planet stopped selling bears earlier on April 17, 2003, before the shop itself closed on April 9, 2004.
On the website, there was a bundle the contained the First Caramel Bear, A Picture Book called, Mai-Chan's Caramel Bear, and a CD that had the songs "WALK WITH YOU", "YELL TO YOU", and "ON THE BACK STREET" in full orchestra. This bundle costed ¥5,000 and was sold through Sanrio Questina, Sanrio's attempt to dive into adult audiences with furniture, flowers, and other special occasional goods. Another bundle was sold and costed ¥3,800 and contained the second book to the picture book Mai-chan's Caramel Bear, A pink bear named Strawberry, and A CD that contained the songs "I'LL BE THERE", "LOVE GENERATION", and "Beyond the River of Time." Limited amounts of each Bundle were sold.
Mii Shimizu seemingly made these Teddy Bears ever since she was young, as evidenced by the picture book which could be based on her, and she often made these bears as personal gifts to her friends. According to her, she gotten an overwhelming response to making the bears into a real product.
-Wedding Bear- We created it as a welcome bear to welcome customers at the reception of your friend's wedding reception. Since then, this wedding bear has become a staple at my friend's wedding, and has been very successful, not only at the reception desk, but also as a stand-in for the main seat in place of the groom and groom who leave due to recoloring. (Created in June 1993, 45 cm long)
-President Bear- Sanrio Corporation was modeled after President Tsuji. From the characteristic eyebrows and glasses to the suit, shoes, and accessories, I made it with reference to my own things. Currently, this president's bear is displayed at the entrance of the president's office. (Created in June 1996, 30 cm long)
-Kitty and Mimmy's Birthday- This work was submitted to the 1st Sanrio Teddy Bear Contest and won the second prize by the vote of the visitors. "On November 1, 1974, lovely twin kittens, Kitty and Mimmy, were born in the suburbs of London, England. Everyone watches warmly as they sleep" (created in August 1996)
-Gardening Bear- I made it as a gift for a friend who likes gardening. I made it at the request of "I want a teddy bear that feels like an energetic boy." I always wear overalls for my boy's teddy bear, but when I added a checked bandana to this child, it looked really cool. (Created in May 1997, 32 cm long)
-Autumn Forest- It is a teddy bear of a nostalgic girl made with the theme of "autumn in the forest". The moment I picked up this Cafe Brown mohair fabric, it was just as I imagined. Picking nuts in the forest, riding on a vine swing... The fairytale situation was perfect, and I took various pictures. (Created in November 1998, 40 cm long)
-Baby Bear- It is a baby bear that is given to a friend to celebrate the birth of a child. We give it as a gift with the baby's name and date of birth embroidered on the styling. When I give it to the baby, I ask the baby who is sleeping peacefully to "get along with this teddy bear forever." I wish you could keep this teddy bear by your side while you grow up... I made it with a feeling of blessing.
-Mii Shimizu- After producing wedding dolls for about 50 wedding productions, in 1993 she started production activities mainly to make original custom-made teddy bears for each person. Her previous works include wedding bears, baby birthday bears with names and dates, and clothes bears that match the person's style. In addition, the image taken was also released by Sanrio as a card. She was the Runner-up in the 1st and 2nd Sanrio Teddy Bear Contests.
Stephanie the May Bear (the only archived photo of any of the monthly bears)
