News
Griffin’s has announced it will phase out the Cookie Bear character from its biscuit packaging, marking the end of a nostalgic era for many New Zealanders. The cheerful bear has been a familiar face in Kiwi households since the 1970s, making this decision a significant shift in the country’s cultural and advertising landscape.
Cookie Bear first appeared in television ads created by Don Donovan of advertising agency Carlton-Carruthers du Chateau Ltd. The commercials, which featured a man in a bear costume endorsing Hudson's biscuits, quickly captured the hearts of viewers.
The character's popularity skyrocketed, leading to the launch of the Cookie Bear Club. At its height, the club had 180,000 members — representing one in four New Zealand children under the age of 12.
The bear’s history is closely linked to Hudson’s, a Dunedin-based biscuit company established by Richard Hudson in 1868. Hudson’s experienced rapid growth, and by 1930 had merged with UK chocolate giant Cadbury Fry. This partnership paved the way for New Zealand’s first locally produced Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bar. Griffin’s took ownership of Hudson’s and the Cookie Bear character in 1989, keeping the mascot alive for a new generation of biscuit fans.
Cookie Bear's fame and popularity escalated through the Cookie Bear Club, which had a regular monthly page in the New Zealand Woman's Weekly magazine. Children throughout New Zealand joined the club, reaching a peak of 180,000 children, or 1 in 4 New Zealand children under the age of 12. Members of the club received postcards on their birthday. The Cookie Bear Club eventually moved online to the official Cookie Bear Club website.
