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TVKIDS
WWW.TVKIDS.WS
OCTOBER 2014
Rainbow’s 20th Anniversary
SPECIAL REPORT
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Rainbow a TV KIDS: What have been Rainbow’s major milestones since its inception? STRAFFI: Since Rainbow was founded as a small animation studio in 1995, it has thrived thanks to the passion, artistic ability and entrepreneurial skills of the people who have worked with us. In 20 years it has been transformed into a holding company that boasts ten companies dealing with a wide range of productions, from TV and movies to toys, Internet and multimedia products and publishing. Today, Rainbow represents one of the largest and most complete animation studios in the world and is among the few fully integrated production companies in Europe. It is a major European studio, with more than 300 employees and a network of freelancers. Among Rainbow’s major milestones is our flagship Winx Club property. The phenomenally successful brand is one of the most popular in the world and celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. It has greatly contributed to the global reputation of Rainbow. Other production milestones from Rainbow include Prezzy, Tommy & Oscar, Monster Allergy, PopPixie, Huntik and Mia and me. Rainbow has also embraced the field of cinematic production with four movies. These are Gladiators of Rome 3D and three Winx Club movies: The Secret of the Lost Kingdom, Magical Adventure and the latest, launching in fall 2014, The Mystery of the Abyss. In 2011, we also opened the Rainbow MagicLand theme park near Rome, the second-largest theme park in Italy. We are planning to replicate this success in other countries.
Iginio Straffi Twenty years ago, a talented comic-book author and illustrator set out to build an animation powerhouse. Today, Rainbow, led by founder and CEO Iginio Straffi, has a portfolio of TV hits—including the ever-popular Winx Club—as well as a theme park, feature-film capabilities and more. Straffi reflects on two decades of bringing high-quality animation and compelling characters to the global stage.
TV KIDS: How has the company been able to thrive in the competitive children’s programming business? STRAFFI: For us, the key to success in such a competitive market is to keep our brands fresh and relevant, which is why we constantly develop new content to maintain fans’ interest. We devote a huge amount of time and resources to production, as we know that we can’t just rest on our laurels and expect existing content to do the job for us. We regularly give fans something completely new, which not only has an energizing effect on a property from the consumers’ point of view, but also presents licensees with fresh opportunities for merchandising.
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w at 20 Signing a licensing agreement with Rainbow allows licensees to take full advantage of the opportunities and the added value that a company like ours can offer. Partners who work with us have the ability to exploit the synergy between their brand and ours. The relationship with our licensees covers all areas, from communications to marketing to retail, as well as involvement during special events, and we also create events that are specifically tailored to individual partners. TV KIDS: In a highly consolidated business, what benefits do you derive from remaining an independent? STRAFFI: Our independence has allowed us to grow and evolve in the way we wanted and felt fit us best. We are a content company known all over the world and are the largest in Europe, able to implement every phase of the animation process, including the ability to produce stereoscopic 3D animation. This successful formula has allowed our TV series to be present in over 150 countries across the world. As an independent, we have also been able to deal with our own licensing requirements, which has led to huge success. We regularly hold a top position in the global licensor rankings, with record numbers spanning all sectors of the market, including toys and video games, back to school and stationery, food and drink, and clothing and fashion accessories. TV KIDS: What do buyers associate with content from Rainbow? STRAFFI: They associate Rainbow with many things, chiefly very high-quality shows with strong story lines. We know that one doesn’t work without the other, so we make sure that in all our series the beauty of the animation is matched by the quality of the script in order to fully engage the viewer. The success of Rainbow is also due to the values that are intrinsic to any content we produce. The best example of this is Winx Club, which continues to captivate millions of young viewers worldwide through magical content and the values of friendship and positivity.
TV KIDS: What are the keys to building successful multiplatform brands today? STRAFFI: There needs to be an awareness of what is happening in the market and an ability to adapt to that. TV will play a less prominent role in the future, as there will be more content online and viewable through tablets and phones—even while kids watching TV are doing other things. The key to successful brand-building is to take note of these different methods of consumption and deliver content accordingly. At Rainbow, we have structured our portfolio to cover all of them and thus be close to kids with our brands. In addition to TV, we cover publishing and magazines, events and live shows, theme parks for children and families, apps and online games and toy production. We also recently launched a new online platform in Italy and across Europe that marks the entry of the Winx Club brand into the world of e-commerce. It is the first ecommerce channel entirely dedicated to the world of Winx.
TV KIDS: What do you see as Rainbow’s top growth opportunities in the next year? STRAFFI: We expect Winx Club to continue its strong growth, with the exciting and magical new content being released this year leading to higher viewer numbers than ever before and more Winx Club products hitting shelves. On the production side, we have many projects in the pipeline. At MIP Junior we will launch the first episode of the new animated series Royal Academy, and we are also going into production with My American Friend, a vibrant and fresh live-action show for pre-teens. Another exciting development that will bear fruit over the coming year is the agreement we signed in June with CCTV, China’s national television broadcaster. This will see us develop a theme park in China for families and children dedicated to the world of Winx Club, while Winx Club will be transmitted on the CCTV networks across the country starting this September. Rainbow Internazionale of Hong Kong will also launch a licensing program to cover a wide range of sectors, including clothing, publishing, fashion dolls and much more.
In addition to Winx Club, Rainbow’s slate includes, from left, PopPixie, Mia and me, Huntik, My American Friend, Gladiators of Rome and Royal Academy.
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The World of Winx sing, laugh and eat ice cream and pizza, just like any other teens. The show combines action and adventure with a light comedic touch, and the brand’s success is linked not only to the innovative content, but also to the positive values that have always accompanied the magical heroines—friendship, love, family, generosity and commitment. These qualities, combined with family-friendly story lines and beautiful animation, have enabled the brand to grow and prosper wherever in the world it has launched. The Winx Club pantheon now comprises 156 magical episodes and two feature-length movies in 3D animation and CGI. Winx Club is still growing. Season six has just been released to huge global acclaim and season seven is currently in production, with a projected release date of 2015. An eagerly anticipated third theatrical movie, The Mystery of the Abyss, enjoyed its global premiere in Italy in September and is now hitting territories across the world. Rainbow’s policy of regularly releasing new content has helped the property become a classic brand that is loved the world over, with Asian markets the latest to discover the magic of Winx Club. Broadcasting success has led to an enviably strong position in the licensing market, with over 500 licensees on board globally across a multitude of categories, including DVDs, toys, clothing, books and video games, with more than 6,000 new products developed yearly. Rainbow is currently looking to build on this success by expanding the property into less conventional sectors, such as Winx Clubthemed holidays and experiences.
inx Club is a true global phenomenon, an animated series that children across the world have fallen in love with. The brand is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and its audience continues to grow, underlining its status as one of the most successful girls’ properties of all time. From its creation in 2004, fans have delighted in the adventures of the show’s six fairies—Bloom, Flora, Stella, Aisha, Musa and Tecna—as they take on mystical adventures and battle the forces of darkness. Ten years of friendship, magic and love have seen the fairies fight to protect the planet from enemies, but also The Mystery of the Abyss is the third feature film from the Winx Club franchise.
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Milestones 1995 Rainbow is founded in Italy by leading comic-book artist Iginio 2008 Maya Fox is released, which sees Rainbow expanding its scope Straffi. The company’s first project is the production and distribution of an interactive educational CD-ROM.
through a series in a multimedia format designed for teen girls. Huntik wins the MIPCOM Licensing Challenge and is released in 2009.
PopPixie, a comedy animation series for the whole family, is launched. 1997 Rainbow is awarded the New Media Prize by Children’s Software 2010 The second Winx Club CGI movie, Magical Adventure, is released and wins an Review at the Avanca Festival for the production of the best CD-ROM, for Tommy and Oscar.
1999 The success of the CD-ROM leads to the production of Rainbow’s
award for Best 3D animated cartoon. Rainbow signs an agreement with Nickelodeon, which sees the network gain Winx Club TV broadcasting and merchandising rights in the U.S. and become co-producer of the fifth and sixth seasons.
first animated series, The Adventures of Tommy & Oscar.
2011 The Rainbow MagicLand theme park opens near Rome. It is the
2002 Prezzy, a series inspired by the mascot of Italy’s Gardaland theme
second-largest theme park in Italy. Winx Club wins the Russian Golden Bear Award for Best Licensed Property thanks to the quality of the product, its vast presence in the market and great economic results.
park, hits the screen in ten countries across the world.
2004 Winx Club, Rainbow’s most ambitious and demanding project to 2012 Rainbow expands its repertoire with Mia and me, a mixture of date, is released and is an immediate success.
live action and CGI animation that is a hit across the world.
2005
Rainbow CGI’s Gladiators of Rome, the big-budget comedy movie in 3D stereoscopic animation set in ancient Rome, premieres globally.
Rainbow receives the award for Best Animation Studio of the
Year at the Cartoons on the Bay Festival in Positano.
2006 Supernatural comedy Monster Allergy is launched. Rainbow CGI is founded.
2013 The Winx Club online platform launches in Italy and across Europe. WinxClub.com, the official website of the brand, lands in Asia with localized versions for China, Vietnam and the Philippines. Five new apps are released on the online stores, with more than 2 billion play sessions.
2007 The first Winx Club CGI movie, The Secret of the Lost Kingdom, is 2014 Winx Club celebrates its tenth anniversary, and the third Winx released. It is the first CGI animated feature-length film ever produced in Italy.
Club CGI movie, The Mystery of the Abyss, hits cinemas across the globe.
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