We are all familiar with ‘Forever Friends’ - a selection of little bears that appeal to the child in us all, whatever our ages. This Bear Collection yesterday celebrated its 21st birthday.
Since the 1980s, a lot has happened to this group of bears, probably reflecting the changing tastes of the public who fell in love with them originally.
After the little bears first appeared on artist Deborah Jones’s sketch pad in 1987, they were published in the very popular ‘Forever Friends’ greeting card range. The brand’s distinctive look soon became synonymous with giving a friend ‘a hug in an envelope’.
In 1997, a special new range was launched called ‘Between Friends’ focusing on the closeness of friendship for younger people. For others, another range hit the shops, this time called ‘Blanc’ where the bears were painted with only a a hint of pastel colour, on heavier paper. While lots of popular trends emerged, the Forever Friends bears stayed as adorable as ever.
The year 2005 saw the relaunch of the Forever Friends bears – this time making their activities and surroundings more up to date. They found themselves as cross stitch charts and kits – and even on computer desktops.
The Forever Friends website includes games, polls (currently: What makes a good friend?), competitions, treats for mobiles, gifts and wallpapers.
If you want to give someone special in your life a big bear hug, why not consider a Forever Friends kit or pattern?
Happy Stitching!
Iona
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