Build-A-Bear Workshop is the subject of a new documentary from Taylor Morden, director of The Last Blockbuster.
The experiential retail pioneer known for its furry friends is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and cameras are rolling at the company’s St. Louis headquarters.
“Going into this project I have so many questions,” Morden says. “What is it about Build-A-Bear that resonates with so many people? Why do people line up to stuff their own plush animals, when they can buy them already stuffed? Can experiential retail save the shopping mall as we know it? Or is it too late? I’m hoping the audience will have as much fun as I do finding the answers.”
The film is set to explore the backstory of the company along with its path through the potentially catastrophic era of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to 2021 becoming Build-A-Bear Workshop’s most profitable year to date. Morden says that the film will also hone in on the multigenerational nature of the retailer and how it compares to other companies in the toy and retail spaces.
“Since 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop has enabled guests around the world to create over 200 million furry friends and countless stories and memories. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are excited to share our own story and memories, as well, and this documentary, led by Taylor, is the perfect vehicle,” says Build-A-Bear Workshop President and CEO Sharon Price John. “From a dynamic founder to a global pandemic, you will learn how a stuffed animal company that started in a St. Louis mall evolved to become an iconic global brand that navigated through one of the most uncertain business and retail periods in modern history to emerge stronger than before all while remaining focused on our mission of adding a little more heart to life.”
Foundation Media Partners is producing the film. No word yet on a planned release date.