When it comes to classic play, sometimes the most simple toys make the biggest impact. Bubbles are a prime example, which kids have been playing with for centuries. Bubbles were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong Museum of Play in 2014, and while new bubble toys hit the market every year, the category itself hasn’t had much innovation … until now.
The Toy Book caught up with American Bubble Co. CEO Geoffrey Wasserman and President Susan Kort Wasserman to discuss how their new Bubble Tree brand is putting a new, sustainable spin on an old classic, and doing it with style!
The Toy Book: What sparked American Bubble to completely rethink the category of traditional bubble products from top to bottom for the launch of Bubble Tree?
Susan Kort Wasserman: In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were all home, Geoff and I started to think about our kids, the world, and what brought joy to kids of all ages without the use of electronics.
We joked about our experience with bubbles and how many millions of plastic bubble bottles are not recyclable and trashed each year. Growing up at Imperial Toys, my dad [the late Fred Kort, founder of Imperial Toy Co.] taught me a lot about bubbles and the role they played in the toy industry. So it made sense to me that bubbles would be our first offering.
Our first product, the Bubble Tree Refillable Bubble System, is truly bubbles in a box! When creating the Bubble Tree Refillable Bubble System, our goal was to create a more sustainable product that helped reduce the use of one-time-use plastic bubble bottles that currently saturate the current market. Bubble Tree is the very first patent-pending, eco-friendly, and sustainable bubble system made in the USA. Our original refillable bubble system features the first manufactured aluminum bubble bottle and a refill box made of corrugated, entirely recyclable. Use the spout to refill all our bubble bottles and other bubble toys.
Geoffrey Wasserman: Each year, more than 300 million one-time-use plastic bubble bottles are imported to the U.S. Many will contain bubble solutions from foreign countries with formulas and ingredients that often fall below the safety, sustainability, and quality levels that modern American consumers demand. Susan and I aim to enhance bubble safety and solve plastic pollution, waste, and the overuse of one-time-use plastic bottles. It’s so great to see the consumers enjoying our bubbles and retailers in the industry partnering with us.
TB: One immediate difference in Bubble Tree is the brand’s packaging design. What are some key benefits of using aluminum bottles versus plastic, and what was the balance between sustainability and creating a new product line that will stand out to consumers on the shelf?
GW: Bubble Tree’s packaging is made from 100% recyclable corrugated and the bubble bottles are made from aluminum, the most recyclable and sustainable material on earth. By eliminating single-use plastic, we are helping the environment reduce plastic pollution.
Our refill system, created from recycled corrugated materials, looks like a wine box so that the aluminum bottles can be refilled with our toxic-free bubble solution many times. This helps create less waste because our refillable bubble system allows you to get only the amount of bubble solution you need. Unlike the large plastic bubble bottles on the market today, our bubble in a box system is less messy and allows for less waste. In addition to helping the environment, the bottles look and feel good. I can’t tell you how challenging it was to put the wand in the aluminum bottle, but we did it! Over the last year, we have won design awards for our packaging. I believe the packaging is such an essential feature for our product and am proud of what we were able to offer at launch.
TB: When the industry thinks of bubbles, it’s usually as a spring and summer outdoor toy. How is Bubble Tree working to position its products for year-round use and in other situations, such as education and crafting?
SKW: There is no denying that bubbles are a spring and summer activity, but bubbles are truly universal. Our bubbles have been used as goodie bags at birthday parties, weddings, in art, and for science class as they make great slime and paint projects instead of candy for Halloween or Valentine’s Day. Additionally, speech-language pathologists love our bubbles as they help kids strengthen the muscles in their mouths. Kaplan Learning Center and schools across the country use Bubble Tree in the classroom and offer them in their school stores.
TB: Bubble Tree launched at a very unique time for the toy industry and the world itself as the brand hit the market just as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to spread. How did the pandemic affect the American Bubble Co. and how were you able to react?
GW: The pandemic caused us to become creative to gain market share. With Toy Fair canceling its in-person event for the second year in a row, we needed a different way to reach retailers and consumers. We did this by traveling the country at trade shows, partnering with toy rep groups that understood our vision, leveraging online markets, digital advertising and social media, mailers, and good old-fashioned prospecting. We can’t tell you all of our secrets, but we are very proud that our hard work is paying off. Both retailers and consumers are noticing the Bubble Tree difference.
TB: Beyond the current core product line, what can retailers and consumers look forward to from Bubble Tree in the near future?
SKW: Our primary focus is to grow our current product line and enhance customer engagement and acquisition. We are developing several items that are still in the concept phase but growing our brand is essential.
TB: Over the past two years, there has been renewed interest in products made in the U.S. or the practice of reshoring. How does the American Bubble Co. fit into this?
GW: After decades of producing toys and other products overseas, we felt the only option was to be a 100% Made in the USA company. We knew if we were able to control production at our site, we would have more control of the quality of how our product is made. We traveled all over the country to meet different raw material manufacturers that were established U.S. businesses — with more than 50 years of experience — that are leaders in their space and were able to work with us to negotiate supply agreements that enable us to always be in stock.
Our partners were also able to develop specifications that provided us with the consistency of our products. This was important to us. Being a premium brand, you have to have a premium product that stands out and performs significantly better. Our production equipment and water treatment systems are made in the U.S. If a line goes down, we can have it fixed the next day. This is hard to do with imported equipment. We built our 30,000 square-foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Commerce, California, hired a team of employees, and hit the market running.
Every bottle that comes off of our line is inspected. We test every batch of bubbles we make. We are proud to be the only 100% U.S.-based manufacturer of bubbles that focuses on quality and sustainability.
Besides that, our bubbles are the best on the planet. Our bubble took over 40 years to develop. We don’t plan to improve our bubble solution because we believe it can’t get better than what it is!
Bubble Tree products are currently available at Target, Amazon, and select independent toy stores and specialty retailers across the U.S.
