Valentine - BE@RBRICK
Valentine's Day is a day associated with love. Medicom Toy showed their love for the holiday with a line of over 12 unique romance-themed BE@BRICK designs. Here are some of the collection’s most unique Valentine's Day creations: "BE@RBRICK 2018 Valentine Set" and "BE@RBRICK 2017 Valentine Chocolat Framboise 100%."
Valentine's Day and BE@RBRICK Collaboration Background
Medicom Toy celebrated Valentine's Day with a custom BE@RBRICK design from 2009 until 2018. These designs involved popular Valentine's Day motifs, couple's figure sets, and occasional collaborations with third-party brands.
Collaboration Planning and Launch History
The first Valentine's Day BE@RBRICK came out in 2009 as part of a collaboration with gourmet dessert company Babbi. These small BE@RBRICK keychains featured the letter "B" for eyes and came in a selection of three colors. In 2010, Medicom Toy released the first full-size Valentine's Day BE@RBRICK. The following year, two different Valentine's Day BE@RBRICK designs went into production. For the first five years, the Valentine's designs followed a solid color and heart design motif. Starting in 2015, the designs began to incorporate themes from Valentine's Day celebrations, particularly chocolate. The final design in 2018 featured a set of complementing metallic-colored figures.
BE@RBRICK 2018 Valentine Set
The final entry in BE@RBRICK's Valentine's Day line is an adorable matching set perfect for a couple to share. The figure set includes two models with complementary color schemes. Both figures feature a combination of metallic color on the top half and a matte coating on the bottom. The matte colors represent a chocolate coating, either in white or dark chocolate. The white chocolate is found on the teal bear while the dark chocolate covers the bottom half of the pink bear. Each bear has one heart-shaped eye in a contrasting metallic paint: silver for the teal and gold for the pink. The eye placement is on the opposite side for each figure, making a complete face when paired together.
- Product Name: BE@RBRICK 2018 Valentine Set
- Series: BE@RBRICK
- Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
- Specifications: Set of 2 painted & articulated plastic figures
- Height (Approx.): 70mm | 2.8
BE@RBRICK 2017 Valentine Chocolat Framboise 100%
This tasty-looking figure from BE@RBRICK's 2017 Valentine's Day designs depicts one of the holiday's best desserts. Titled "Chocolat Framboise," the figure represents a chocolate-covered strawberry. The figure's head and shoulders are a bright, deep red, similar to a fresh strawberry. The lower half is covered in a matte brown paint to mimic the texture of perfectly tempered chocolate. An irregular line where the two colors meet gives off a realistic appearance of a strawberry dipped in chocolate. The figure's facial features match the gold script written on the figure's belly. A ribbon-like flourish under the writing finishes the design.
- Product Name: BE@RBRICK 2017 Valentine Chocolat Framboise 100%
- Product Line: BE@RBRICK
- Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
- Specifications: Painted & articulated plastic figure
- Height (Approx.): 70mm | 2.7"
Valentine's Day Background
Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14th. While the holiday originated in Christianity as a feast day, today it involves celebrating love and romance.
Valentine's Day Background: History
There are two Christian martyrs honored on the February 14th feast day: Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. The feast day is still celebrated in Balzan, Malta, where the Saints' remains can be found. Many legends and folktales surround the origin of modern Valentine's Day traditions. The earliest writings about Saint Valentine state that he was imprisoned for assisting persecuted Christians. Later, legends depict him performing a miracle before his execution, a belief that persisted through the 8th century. In the 18th century, the story grew to include his sending of the first "Valentine's card" to his jailor's daughter. Eventually, the legend of Saint Valentine grew to include tales of him performing forbidden weddings between Christians. This addition to the tale led to the modern-day association of the holiday with romantic love.
Valentine's Day Background: Celebrations
Modern celebrations of the holiday vary based on culture, though many practices have their roots in Anglo-American customs. Sending special greeting cards, dubbed "Valentine's Cards" or simply "Valentines," calls back to the 18th-century legend of the Saint. Gift exchanges, particularly involving candy, has become a widespread popular Valentine's Day custom. In Japan and Korea, modern practices involve women giving men chocolates on February 14th. On March 14th, the recipients give the women a non-chocolate gift back. In the US and most European countries, the evening of February 14th is widely celebrated as a romantic date night.
Some cultures still incorporate religious practices in their celebration, incorporating pilgrimages to St. Valentine shrines to seek true love. In many Asian countries, the holiday is rebuked as Western commercialism.
Other Notable Brand Collaborations
In 2013, Medicom Toy released three Valentine's Day related BE@RBRICK items. Notably, this included an edible collaboration with apparel line Comme Ca Ism.
BE@RBRICK and Comme Ca Ism
Comme Ca Ism celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2013. That year, the company collaborated with Medicom Toy to create celebratory BE@RBRICKs for Valentine's Day. These BE@RBRICKs were not figures, but a set of flavored chocolates in the shape of the BE@RBRICK model. The chocolates came in three flavors: white, milk/sweet, and strawberry.
Links
BE@RBRICK 2018 Valentine Set
BE@RBRICK 2017 Valentine Chocolat Framboise 100%
BE@RBRICK Series
BE@BRICK Label