rainbow mascots | Rainbow Productions

happy new year!

As we bid farewell to an incredible 2025 and step into 2026, we have been reflecting on a year that was award-winning for Rainbow. From global events to exciting new character launches, 2025 was packed with unforgettable moments – and we can't wait to see what 2026 has in store.

January

We managed appearances of over 40 characters at the London Toy Fair.
Gabby and Cakey from Gabbys Dollhouse joined our licensed character list and quickly became a huge hit, making it into our top 10 characters of the year.

February

Wallace and Gromit attended the grand opening of Animate Preston, unveiling new permanent resident Feathers McGraw.

March

We celebrated World Book Day as we attended the London Book Fair alongside some of our characters.
Mascot appearances took place at Paris Fashion Week with the Casablanca brand.

April

We received the prestigious GOLD Recognition Award from the Dubai Entertainment Amusement and Leisure Show
Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig excitedly hosted their gender reveal party at Battersea Power Station by illuminating the chimneys.
Two Lucozade bottle mascots completed this year's London marathon in serious style, raising money for GroceryAid.

May

We were recognised for our outstanding growth in overseas sales by being awarded the King's Award for International Trade.
We introduced Patch into our Rainbow Team to join Ruby.
Baby Evie Pig was born, and the whole family enjoyed a busy year of events.

June

Our MD, Simon Foulkes, attended Windsor Castle for “a real pinch me moment” to attend a Royal Reception and even meet His Majesty The King following our King's Award win.
We were acknowledged for outstanding international sales by Made in the UK, Sold to the World, by receiving the Highly Commended Award.
The Royal Yacht Britannia welcomed a new resident aboard, Clyde the giant corgi, which can be found in the Britannia gift shop.

July

The Smurfs walked the BLUE carpet with Rihanna for the release of the Smurfs movie.
Lando Norris meet Sonic the Hedgehog™ to announce SEGA becoming the official gaming partner of McLaren Racing.
Finnie was launched as the official mascot for the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. We can't wait to see more from them this year.

August

The HASBRO hub was launched in Piccadilly Circus, which was opened by Peppa Pig, Mr Monopoly and Sunny Starscout from My Little Pony.
We hosted our family gala to celebrate winning the King's Award and were officially presented the award by Robert McNeil Love, Lord-Lieutenant Representative Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Merton.

September

The Smurfs cheered athletes on at the Diamond League Athletics at the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels.
We officially added Bully to our licensed character list ahead of PDC World Darts Championship and the relaunch of the much-loved TV game show.

October

We attended Brand Licensing Europe and managed our largest character parade to date, with 72 characters on day one and 42 characters on day two, as always, it was a huge show highlight!
Gabbys Dollhouse: The Movie was released, which kept Gabby and Cakey busy touring cinemas for the promotion of the film.
Peter Rabbit™ celebrated the unveiling of his new book, which was officially launched by Her Majesty the Queen at Clarence House.

November

We returned with a BANG to the Trafford Centre for our character parade after a 6-year hiatus, which was a roaring success.
Children in Need was in November, showing the return of Pudsey to our TV screens, and we even saw special guests such as Bluey as well.
The Snowman™ went to Battersea Power Station to celebrate 40 years of Aled Jones’s: Walking in the Air. Aled Jones even made a surprise appearance alongside a school choir creating the most magical experience for shoppers.

December

We expanded our offering to include product demonstrations, starting with two successful in-person demonstration events, Birdy Call and Aqua Beads.
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants was released, which hit the 40^th top-grossing movie of 2025 globally.
Ahead of the release, SpongeBob iconically cemented his legacy at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Our characters kicked off the year with a flying start on New Year's Day, Peppa Pig & George Pig went to Winter Wonderland, The Gruffalo was at Cheltenham Racecourse, and Batman, Superman and Paddington™ joined in Hamleys New Year's Day Parade. There's even more excitement to be had this month (events can be subject to change) …

17^th January: Bluey Meet and Greet – Take Part Festival – North Wales

17^th January: Catboy & Owlette from PJ Masks Meet and Greet – The Square, Dublin

18^th January: Bluey Storytime – Hertfordshire Zoo

31^st January: Bluey Meet and Greet, Hamleys Westfield White City

FROM SOUTHWEST LONDON TO THE WORLD!

We are proud to announce that Rainbow Productions has been awarded the King’s Awards for Enterprise: International Trade 2025.

Unique in offering a complete mascot manufacture, wardrobe and costume character events management service, Rainbow Productions has established its position within the licensing industry and we have rapidly developed a global reputation as the go-to company for bespoke mascots and costume character appearances.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed in 2023 to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses. The Award programme, now in its 59^th year, is the most prestigious business award in the country, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next 5 years.

This award is our biggest honour in Rainbow’s forty-year history as Managing Director, Simon Foulkes, commented “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this distinguished award. Not only does it put Rainbow firmly on the map as leader in British exports, it is also a great testament to the talent, dedication and commitment of all the employees and freelancers associated with the company. This award highlights our achievements to a much wider audience. My team have worked incredibly hard, so this award is for them. Together we have taken our business from Southwest London to the world.”

Get ready for some half-term fun!

We had some fantastic events last month, which definitely helped cure our January Blues. Paddington™ spent the start of the year at Wookey Hole Caves in Somerset, the Teletubbies joined in the fun at RuPaul’s Dragcon 2025 at ExCeL London, and Zog kicked off his 15^th anniversary celebrations with a visit to The Light in Redhill for a screening of his film.

Plus, January saw the return of the annual London Toy Fair at Kensington Olympia. Over 50 characters walked the aisles including Supertato, Ginger from Vegesaurs and Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse, who have all recently joined our licensor character portfolio and are available to book for UK events.

If you’re looking for some February half-term fun, here’s a list of events taking place this month (*events can be subject to change)…

1^st February: Bluey & Bingo Meet and Greet – Call of the Wild Zoo, Chelmsford

2^nd February: CoComelon’s JJ Meet and Greet – Ilac Shopping Centre, Dublin

3^rd February: CoComelon’s JJ Meet and Greet – Athlone Town Centre, Athlone

8^th February: Miffy Meet and Greet – Leeds City Museum

15^thFebruary: PAW Patrol’s Chase Meet and Greet – The Works, Watford & Harrow

15^th February: Peppa Pig Meet and Greet – The Square, Camberley

15^th February: Wallace & Gromit Meet and Greet – Didcot Railway Centre, Oxfordshire

15^th & 16^th February: Sonic the Hedgehog™ Meet and Greet – Bluebell Railway

15^th- 17^th February: Bluey Meet and Greet – West Midlands Safari Park, Bewdley

16^th February: Peter Rabbit™ Meet and Greet – Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Derbyshire

16^th February: CoComelon’s JJ Meet and Greet – Manor Mills Shopping Centre, Dublin

17^th – 23^rd February: Paddington™ Meet and Greet – Eden Project, Cornwall

18^th February: Bluey Narration – Hertfordshire Zoo, Broxbourne

18^th February: Sonic the Hedgehog™ Meet and Greet – St Nicholas Shopping Centre, Sutton

18^th & 19^th February: Peppa Pig Meet and Greet – West Midlands Safari Park, Bewdley

19^th February: CoComelon’s JJ Meet and Greet – Pavilions Swords, Dublin

19^th & 20^th February: Bluey Meet and Greet – Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth

20^th February: CoComelon’s JJ Meet and Greet – Northside Shopping Centre, Dublin

20^th February: Wallace & Gromit Meet and Greet – Animate, Preston

20^th & 21^st February: Octonauts’ Captain Barnacles Meet and Greet – West Midlands Safari Park, Bewdley

21^st February: Bluey Narration – Hertfordshire Zoo, Broxbourne

22^nd February: PAW Patrol’s Chase Meet and Greet – Midland Railway, Butterley Station

22^nd February: Peppa Pig Meet and Greet – Woburn Safari Park, Milton Keynes

22^nd & 23^rd February: Bluey & Bingo Meet and Greet – Rural Life Living Museum, Farnham