Strawberry Shortcake is a brand of dolls that began from a set of illustrations put out by American Greetings. The “rag doll-esque” drawings were licensed and made into dolls by the American toy company, Kenner in 1979. The franchise went on to include home goods, clothing, bicycles, several TV specials, etc. In 1991, THQ revived the franchise with a small launch of new dolls that lasted for only a year. The series was revived again in 2002 with new designs and a television series. Yet another toy company (Bandai) created toys based on this generation of Strawberry Shortcake. In 2006, the manufacturing rights were granted to Playmates Toys. Dolls were produced along with a full-length feature film. Hasbro gained the rights after Playmates and began creating toys in 2009, after American Greetings rebooted the franchise. The manufacturing rights changed hands again, from Hasbro to The Bridge Direct (now Basic Fun) in 2014. In 2023, Strawberry Shortcake franchise owner, WildBrain, secured partnerships for the brand, which resulted in clothing and accessory lines, candles, and toys created by The Loyal Subjects.