Gummibär (pronounced [ˈɡʊmibɛːɐ̯] ; German for "gummy bear") or Gummy Bear is a German Eurodance multilingual character and virtual musician that performs gummy bear-related songs on various albums, including I Am Your Gummy Bear (2007) and La La Love to Dance (2010). The video for the song "I'm a Gummy Bear" and its Spanish version has 3.2 billion and 1.2 billion views on YouTube respectively.

Gummibär
Background information
Also known asGummy Bear
OriginGermany
Genres
Years active2006 (2006)–present
LabelsGummybear International
Websitethegummybear.com

Name origins and appearance edit

The name "Gummibär" is taken from a German brand of bear-shaped gummy candies from Haribo introduced in 1920.[1] The highly-stylized, green-coloured, blue-eyed obese gelatinous bear character (with belly button) wears an orange Y-front briefs/underwear and white sneakers. Gummibär also seems to be bitten with a small portion of the left ear missing. Gummibär’s muzzle or, anthropomorphicly, his moustache and goatee, appear to be carpet (in earlier media, seemingly sugar-frosted), and Gummibär only has two small teeth spaced far apart on his lower jaw. Gummibär's right iris and pupil are larger than the corresponding left-sided features.

Popularity edit

Gummibär's popularity as a phenomenon is very similar to that of fellow European music phenomenon Crazy Frog, characterised by repetition of lyrics and singing of catchy melodies. Variants of the character's music have been released in various languages internationally.[2]

The related products are marketed by Gummybear International, which is responsible for the creation, development, and branding of Gummibär animations, as well as musical content and production. Merchandise includes musical and video products (CDs, DVDs, downloads and ringtones) and video games. The company is headquartered in New Jersey, US.

In June 2012, Gummybear International gained a licensing and co-branding deal with the Greek toy manufacturer Jumbo[3] and Brazilian record label Som Livre in August that includes deals on merchandising and releases on different formats.[4]

In July 2017, Gummybear International first introduced a new character named Paperotti,[5] who is a yellow duck with a blue feather on his forehead, Paperotti's channel features music videos and animated shorts. Paperotti has since featured in many Gummibär videos.[6]

Video edit

The video, a 30-second CGI pop promo animated in Softimage XSI, was directed, designed and animated by Pete Dodd and produced through Wilfilm in Copenhagen for Ministry of Sound GmbH in Berlin.[7] The original video was a 30-second version of the Hungarian version, "Itt Van A Gumimaci" which was posted on site Mojoflix.com

DVD edit

Gummibär: I Am Gummy Bear - The Gummibär Video Collection was released on 28 April 2009 in the US. The DVD contains a video collection of "I'm a Gummy Bear" in nine different languages, as well as some of the character's other releases.[8] They promote their merch by putting it in their videos at the start of the music videos.

Other media edit

Film edit

Gummibär: The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa was released in the United Kingdom on 8 October 2012,[9] and in the US on 6 November 2012 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.[10] It is Gummibär's first (and only) feature-length film. Aside from the titular character, it stars Harry, a male chameleon, Vampiro, a Dracula-esque vampire bat, and Kala, a female cat, as they embark on a search for Santa Claus, who is reported missing on Christmas Eve.[10] The film aired in the US on 1 December of the same year on The CW's Vortexx Saturday morning cartoon block, which billed the airing as a "world premiere".[11][12]

TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
"The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa"Bernie Denk, Jurgen KorduletschRobert David Stevenson, Leo St. PierreNovember 6, 2012 (2012-11-06)TBA
Santa Claus has been kidnapped from the North Pole, leading Gummy, Kala, Harry and Vampiro to save Christmas and Santa Claus.

Web series edit

In 2016, a YouTube animated web series titled Gummibär and Friends was released online on the official Gummibär YouTube channel, consisting of one season of 39 episodes.[13] Those international versions were released on a channel titled "Gummy Bear Show International" beginning on 1 April 2020.[14]

Discography edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Gummibär biography, discography, songs, lyrics, remixes and more!". Bubblegum Dancer. Archived from the original on 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  2. ^ Alleyne, Richard (2008-07-11). "Gummy Bear set to take Crazy Frog's mantle". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  3. ^ "Gummybear International Licenses Use of Animated Character Gummibär for Bulgarian Jumbo Toy Stores TV Ad Campaign". PRWeb. June 1, 2012. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  4. ^ "Gummybear International Announces Major Licensing Agreement with Brazilian Record Label Som Livre". PRWeb. August 24, 2012. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  5. ^ "Gummybear International Unveils New Animated Character Paperotti". PRWeb. Archived from the original on 26 February 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  6. ^ "GUMMY EGG Gummy Bear Song GUMMIBÄR Surprise Egg Song". YouTube. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  7. ^ Dodd, Pete. "GUMMY BEAR". Peter Dodd Director of Animation. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  8. ^ "GUMMIBÄR – I Am A Gummy Bear: The Gummibär Video Collection". Gummibär. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  9. ^ "Gummibär DVD Debuts October 8th In UK!". thegummybear.com. 2012-10-04. Archived from the original on 2019-07-06. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  10. ^ a b "Watch The Trailer For The Yummy Gummy Search For Santa!". thegummybear.com. 2012-10-10. Archived from the original on 2019-07-06. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  11. ^ Zahed, Ramin (2012-11-27). "Vortexx on The CW Announces Special Holiday Line-Up". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-07-06. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  12. ^ "MyVortexx". myvortexx.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-28. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  13. ^ "Gummibär And Friends "Spooktacular" The Gummy Bear Show Episode 1". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20.
  14. ^ "Gummy Bear Show International". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2020-04-20.

External links edit