Rainbow

Licensor: Fremantle Media
Channel: Nick Jr
Type: Preschool education
Target Market: Children 1-5 and their parents -
adults 35+

First shown on ITV in 1972, Rainbow has delighted generations of pre-school children with an entertaining mixture of animations, songs and educational films. But the real attraction for its audience was the puppets Zippy, George and Bungle, whose child-like questions and naughty antics gave young viewers characters they could identify with.

Since the show ended on ITV in 1992, the Rainbow puppets have achieved cult status, with Zippy appearing in an ad for Nivea lipgloss and Bungle guest-starring in Peter Kay's single video for Comic Relief. ‘Rainbow Live’ tours and Rainbow Disco Roadshows have sold out at venues across the country, and there is a range of Rainbow merchandise, from toys and clothes to greetings cards and DVDs.

As well as providing a nostalgia trip for adults, Rainbow has also returned to its pre-school roots. From 2006 it has been running daily on Nick Jr, where it is winning a new generation of fans.

A classic educational preschool brand which is loved by adults and children alike, and known in 25 countries around the world, Rainbow, provides an excellent opportunity for book publishing. Metrostar has teamed up with FremantleMedia, to develop a series of three interactive board books aimed at children aged 1-5.

With a series title of ‘Rainbow Fun to Learn’, the books will explore the senses of sight, touch and hearing. Each will feature one of the Rainbow puppets as the expert on a particular sense, with the other puppets asking questions for the expert – and the reader – to answer. Provisional titles are Make a Noise With Zippy, Look Around With George and Get in Touch With Bungle.

The books include flaps, wheels and textures, and interactive covers to give them strong standout on the shelf – for example, Make a Noise With Zippy has a photo of Zippy with a real plastic zip for a mouth.

Brilliantly capturing the unique humour of the series and the personalities of the puppets, these books will be enjoyed by children and parents alike.

• Continuous transmission on Nick Jr.
• Licensing: DVDs, plush, clothes, cards, badges.

Rainbow is a trademark of FremantleMedia Limited. Licensed by FremantleMedia Enterprises. www.fremantlemedia.com

For more information:

Email: Stuart Cooper
Tel: 0207 317 0963
Mob: 07747 127310