Tuesday 6 May, 2025
Not for publication before 1 AM on the 6th of May 2025
Rainbow Productions receives the King’s Award for Enterprise
The company that brings world-famous characters like Peppa Pig, Bluey and the PAW Patrol team to family attractions, festivals and events around the world is honoured for its success in international trade.
Ever wondered who supplies the costumes and performers for special appearances by The Gruffalo, Minions or Teletubbies? And who designed your football team’s match day mascot?
Chances are it’s Rainbow Productions, a UK company that is known around the world for manufacturing bespoke mascot costumes and organising the appearances of world-famous children’s characters at live events.
That leadership has now been recognised by royalty. Rainbow Productions is the recipient of the King’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2025.
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.
Personally approved by His Majesty The King, Rainbow Productions won its Award in recognition of its international trade success – in particular its outstanding short-term growth in overseas sales over the past three years. It has added thirteen new markets since 2022 – and its overseas sales have grown by 106%.
From its specialist facilities headquartered in southwest London the company now operates in an incredible 65 countries globally.
Nowadays mascots are ubiquitous and an intrinsic part of the visual marketing mix – and Rainbow was well ahead of the curve when it first addressed this market 40 years ago. Today it is unique in offering a complete mascot manufacture, wardrobe and costume character events management service and is the first choice of many brand owners to bring their characters to live events.
The company annually produces over 1,000 unique, hand-made costume character mascots for the TV, film, sports, brand and leisure industries throughout the world.
A brief list includes mascots for major international football teams like Juventus and Barcelona; brand characters for Kelloggs and Mondelez; character appearances for worldwide film premiers like Sonic the Hedgehog™ and Paddington™; and costume characters for globally recognised attractions including Peppa Pig World, Alton Towers Resort and LEGOLAND® Resorts worldwide.
Its latest export success is supplying costume characters for COTALAND — a brand-new theme park located alongside North America’s only permanent Formula 1 racetrack in Orlando, Florida.
Supplying character costumes may sound straightforward – but it’s not. The scale of Rainbow Productions’ operation is formidable. Rainbow operates from four purposely designed units and employs over 30 full-time members of staff and 90 freelance makers. It also supplies approximately 250 mascot artistes, all skilfully trained to physicalise the emotions and characteristics of any given character. Accurate personalities and signature movements are essential parts of the Rainbow costume character service.
But that’s not all. Rainbow is continually investing in new innovative technology such as 3D printers and digital patterning, as well as hiring and training the creative and highly skilled staff that have helped the company to maintain a long-term global competitive edge.
This dedication to quality and detail has given Rainbow a major international presence and an important role in numerous world-famous attractions and spectacular events such as the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant Parade and the Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Most recently the company became the Global Licensee for Hasbro, making Rainbow Productions the sole Peppa Pig costume character manufacturer for all territories worldwide.
Rainbow Productions is thrilled that its work has been recognised. Managing Director, Simon Foulkes, comments: “A Rainbow mascot is widely regarded as the gold standard within the industry and the company prides itself on putting innovation, quality and sustainability at the heart of each and every project.”
He adds: “The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the UK. This award provides Rainbow with a global competitive acknowledgement that will allow the company to boost UK business and remain at the forefront of worldwide costume character industry.”
Notes to editors
Simon Foulkes and the Rainbow Productions team are available for face-to-face, online and email interviews. Please contact Sam or Sian from Rainbow’s PR company Kilogrammedia at the email addresses or phone number below to arrange a meeting.
ABOUT RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS
With 40 years of experience, Rainbow Productions is a world-leading mascot manufacturer, providing quality, bespoke mascot costumes and outfits, along with mascot training, to companies of all shapes and sizes for all kinds of events. Rainbow Productions is also the UK’s official licensee and supplier of over 140 licensed children’s character costumes, able to offer character appearances from Peppa Pig, PAW Patrol, Teletubbies and many more, along with event management and professional performers. https://www.rainbowproductions.co.uk
For further information please contact:
Sian Dorrington / Sam Murray
sian@kgmpr.com / sam@kgmpr.com
t + 44 ( 0 ) 7973 685108
www.kgmpr.com
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