ST. LOUIS, Jan. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The hug of a teddy bear is universally understood, and this National Hug Day (Jan. 21), Build-A-Bear Workshop® (NYSE: BBW) is spreading heart, hugs and happiness with a special two-day deal during which Guests can make their own Lil' Cub® teddy bear—and make a wish on a colorful, limited-edition heart before placing it inside—for just $5.50 USD /$5.50 CAD/£5.50 GBP/€5.50 IEP/59kr DKK each, in U.S., U.K., Canada, Ireland and Denmark stores Jan. 20 and 21*! Several cuddly varieties of Lil' Cub furry friends will be part of this special offer, including Lil' Cub® Pudding™, Lil' Cub® Walnut™ and Lil' Cub® Brownie™. Select furry friends will also be available at buildabear.com and buildabear.co.uk for $10 USD/$10 CAD/£10 each Jan. 20 and 21.*

Inaugural Hug AmBEARsador™ Jason Mraz Helps Build-A-Bear® Spread Hugs, Heart and Happiness
In the spirit of National Hug Day and the brand's mission to 'add a little more heart to life,' Build-A-Bear is introducing its first-ever Hug AmBEARsador, award-winning singer-songwriter, social activist and philanthropist Jason Mraz.

"For more than 21 years, Build-A-Bear has been sharing heart and bear hugs with Guests globally, so National Hug Day is a perfect occasion to celebrate the difference that our brand makes in the world," said Sharon Price John, president and CEO, Build-A-Bear Workshop. "I am pleased to have Jason Mraz join our cause as the perfect inaugural Hug AmBEARsador for Build-A-Bear. He has touched countless lives with his music, and his drive to be a force of good aligns with our mission to add a little more heart to life. We look forward to making a positive impact together one bear hug at a time."

On Friday, Jan. 18, an exclusive Jason Mraz Bear, featuring the special National Hug Day heart design and Mraz's signature embroidered on the paw pad, will launch in U.S., U.K. and Canada Build-A-Bear Workshop stores and online. The bear will be available as part of a bundle with an exclusive album "Hugs, Hearts & Happiness™," produced in partnership with Go Dog Go! Creative, and featuring talented young artists Build-A-Bear Kids™ singing Jason Mraz hits. Fans will also be able to purchase the album separately.

Additionally, in honor of National Hug Day and Mraz's role as the Hug AmBEARsador, Build-A-Bear is donating $10,000 to the Jason Mraz Foundation, which seeks to uplift humanity through arts education and the advancement of equality. Build-A-Bear is also donating up to 1,000 furry friends to the award-winning artist's foundation to be distributed to children in need and help make their days a little bit brighter.

"Connecting with people by spreading love through my music, and sharing songs that speak to them in whatever they may be going through, has always been important to me," said Mraz. "Together with Build-A-Bear, as a Hug AmBEARsador, we are spreading a universal message to share more love and hugs with everyone—on National Hug Day and every day."

Send-A-(Virtual) Hug + More Ways to Embrace Hugs for National Hug Day
Beginning today and all year long, friends and loved ones near and far can send a virtual hug—and help Build-A-Bear reach its goal of sharing 1 million virtual hugs in 2019—using the new Build-A-Bear bear hug GIFs! Whether someone needs a "Heartfelt Hug," a "Bear Bump" or a "CeleBEARate Hug," Build-A-Bear has "all the hugs." The new GIFs can be shared via social media, text or other messaging platforms with popular GIF keyboards by searching "Build-A-Bear." The GIFs are also available to share or download directly from buildabear.com/NationalHugDay. Build-A-Bear will continue to add new bear hug GIFs to its collection throughout the year! Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to the brand's social media channels for more virtual-hug fun.

Additionally, on Jan. 18, Build-A-Bear will release an exclusive new music video for Mraz's hit single "Have It All" from the "Hugs, Hearts and Happiness" album, produced in partnership with Go Dog Go! Creative and sung by Build-A-Bear Kids! The video will be available at buildabear.com and on the brand's YouTube channel. Build-A-Bear has also been releasing songs from the album exclusively on Build-A-Bear Radio™ over the last several weeks and will release the final song on National Hug Day. Fans can sign up for a free Build-A-Bear Radio subscription at dashradio.com/buildabear—or listen in with the Dash Radio app for iOS or Google Play—for great music, fun segments, interviews and kid-inspired content.

Build-A-Bear invites Guests to share their #NationalHugDay thoughts and celebrations with the brand via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.

*Full offer details, disclaimer and exclusions can be found here.

About Build-A-Bear®
Build-A-Bear® is a global brand kids love and parents trust that seeks to add a little more heart to life. Build-A-Bear Workshop has over 400 stores worldwide where Guests can create customizable furry friends, including corporately-managed stores in the United States, Canada, China, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom, and franchise stores in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East. Buildabear.com is the online destination for unique furry-friend gifts, featuring The-Bear-Builder™, a shopping configurator that helps create customized gift options. In 2018, Build-A-Bear was named to the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For^® list for the 10^th year in a row. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW) posted a total revenue of $357.9 million in fiscal 2017.

SOURCE Build-A-Bear Workshop

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