Vermont Teddy Bear Company - "Crazy" Controversy

"Crazy" Controversy

For Valentine's Day of 2005, Vermont Teddy Bear caused widespread controversy by offering a "Crazy for You" Bear. The bear was offered dressed in a white strait jacket with a red heart embroidered onto the front of the jacket. A tag entitled "Commitment Papers" came with the bear. The tag read "Can't eat, can't sleep, my heart's racing. Diagnosis – crazy for you."

Mental health groups from all over the U.S. asked for the bear to be pulled out of production and removed from VTB's website. Many groups called for a boycott of the company. They claimed that the bear made light of the suffering caused by severe mental illness and contributed to the stigma that people with mental illness often encounter.

The company's response was that there was no offense intended and it was merely a play on the phrase "I'm crazy about you." The company claimed that the bear was intended to be a light-hearted depiction of the sentiment of love.

When asked to remove the bear from their inventory, VTB responded by keeping their existing stock up for sale although they stated that they would not make any more in the future. The price of the bears from VTB was US$69.95. After the company sold out, which happened within just a few days of the story hitting the news, the eBay bids reached several hundred dollars.

Elizabeth Robert, the CEO and CFO of VTB was serving as a member of Vermont's largest hospital, Fletcher Allen Health Care, at the time of this incident. In response to the significant controversy she resigned from the board.