They are called Nebulia, Petulia, Marinia or Orelia. Their eccentric hairstyles are in burst colors: mauve, pink, green or gold. On social networks, they talk about love, sharing, kindness and mutual aid. In recent years, they have won the hearts of tens of thousands of young people in Quebec and in some sixty countries. And at Christmas, it would not be surprising to find their products under many trees.
These girls with original names form a new music group? Think again. Rather, they are four of the eleven characters from the Quebec toy brand Nebulous Stars.
Launched in 2017, this collection which brings together a variety of creative leisure products, soft toys, dolls, books and a magazine has more than 10 million items sold worldwide.
“I really like Nebulous Stars”, explains Florence Lebrun, 9 years old.
Diaries, pencils, coloring books, a set for making necklaces: the third-year student happily presents the photographer with The Press its various objects often decorated with the face of one of the Stars.
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“When I do the activities, it changes my mind,” says the young girl, who likes to draw a lot.
Alana Breault, 11, and her sister Elora, 7, are also Nebulous Stars fans. “We really like the universe. The characters are super beautiful, and the values conveyed are good,” explains their mother, Véronique Lavoie.
The desire to put forward “beautiful family values” is also one of the motivations that pushed Geneviève Lecompte and her husband, Kevin Richer, to create Nebulous Stars.
“There are a lot of brands in our field that are focused on looking good for this age group. [de 6 à 11 ans]. We really wanted to offer something else to the children. […] It’s important for us to share values of self-esteem, personal development, stress management, etc.,” explains the president of Tween Team, the company behind this colorful universe.
Qualities for every Star
Thus, each Star has its own qualities which are highlighted through the products. Each also has different fields of interest, which allows girls (and boys, specifies Geneviève Lecompte) to identify with one or other of these characters living in the silver nebula.
Since she loves to bathe, Alana Breault particularly likes Marinia, the Star in the mermaid dress who practices meditation and who has an octopus as a pet. For her part, Florence Lebrun prefers Nebulia. Passionate about fashion, the star with purple hair invites young people to invent their own style.
Like all stars in the sky, every human being is unique. Find your true color and beautiful personality. It is really this message that we want to transmit to the children.
Geneviève Lecompte, president of Tween Team and creator of the Nebulous Stars
This message seems to resonate with many families since more than 135,000 people follow the brand on social networks, according to data from the company, which is also very active on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Seven bestsellers
The enthusiasm of Nebulous Stars fans for this magical world has also led to the launch of books. “We decided to make novels thanks to fans who asked us to know more [sur les Stars]. »
In Quebec, the seven novels published by Éditions Petit Homme are now bestsellers. Containing “all the secrets [de ce] marvelous universe, The Big Book of Nebulous Stars, recently published, was printed in 20,000 copies upon its release. “For Quebec, these are great numbers,” rejoices the one who has worked in the toy industry for more than 20 years.
Elsewhere in the world, an agreement has just been concluded with Hachette for the distribution of books in the rest of the Francophonie. Versions translated into different languages could also see the light of day since discussions are underway with international publishers.
With 15 to 20 new products per year, the brand, which currently has 130 products, will continue to grow in 2023. “We will be launching very big things next year”, even promises Geneviève Lecompte, without giving details. .
News that will undoubtedly delight Florence, Alana, Elora and the other fans of this fabulous world where stars are born.
The artistic side of dinosaurs
Nebulous Stars is not the only brand driven by Geneviève Lecompte and the Tween Team team. Three years ago, they launched DinosArt. “There was a big demand for more neutral products. We went with a fairly generic theme. Dinosaurs are a classic. […] We offer the products that worked well in the Nebulous Stars line in DinosArt version. Of course we are not in such large volumes in terms of sales, but we think it is important […] to reach as many children as possible. »