Ready for yet another Toy Fair, the folks at Bella Sara tell TDmonthly readers what makes their product unique and how a series of beautiful horses became collectible cards.
Bella Sara is a success story unlike any other. In March 2007, Peter D. Adkison, the man who previously brought the trading-card phenomena including Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering to the United States, introduced North America to Bella Sara. Adkison had sworn that he was done with the trading card category unless he found the right kind of trading cards for girls. Bella Sara, a combination of horse-themed trading cards and a magical online world, was just that product.
LOVE OFFERS NEW WORLD FOR GIRLS
Inspired by her daughter’s love for horses in rural Denmark, creator and former social worker Gitte Odder Braendgaard brought Bella Sara to life in the fall of 2005 to offer a fresh dose of optimism and goodwill in a sometimes cynical world.
Each Bella Sara card features an uplifting message for girls. For example, one trading card featuring a white horse named Dynamo, says, “Believe in yourself. Have confidence in what you do.” Another card, featuring a white horse named Rose, reads, “Listen to your dreams. What they tell you is important.” A black-and-white spotted horse named Nanna carries the statement, “Think positively. Your happy thoughts will grow.”
“My son was a big fan of Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering trading cards, but there was nothing for my daughters,” said Braendgaard. “Bella Sara trading cards are for girls and they help the children identify with positive thoughts and feelings,” continued Braendgaard, who was approached by Adkison about bringing Bella Sara to the world. “We are honored to be trusted to bring this socially conscious, imaginative game the world,” said Adkison, CEO of Hidden City Games and former CEO of Wizards of the Coast, which he sold to Hasbro for nearly $500 million.
“In a market that is saturated with products that send young girls mixed messages about beauty and self-assessment, it is personally rewarding to be selling a product that uniquely addresses self-esteem and endeavors to have a long-term positive impact on girls,” said Adkison, who has worldwide rights to the Bella Sara brand.
PLAYING ONLINE FOR FREE
Bella Sara trading cards, which can be collected or used in easy-to-learn card games, also include unique codes that enable girls to activate, care for and play with virtual horses online. There is no cost whatsoever to use the interactive website, which features hundreds of virtual horses, a variety of age-appropriate casual games, customizable cottages, puzzles, coloring books, interactive stories and more.
In just a short period of time since their introduction, over 30 million Bella Sara cards have been sold worldwide and the website has amassed over 1.6 million users from more than 240 countries. The Bella Sara brand will grow with the introduction in 2008 of licensed products in the publishing, toy and console game categories.
