Genius Brands International, Inc., a global brand management company that creates and licenses multimedia entertainment content for children, and its home entertainment partner, Distribution Solutions, will release the first two Rainbow Rangers DVDs, “Welcome to Kaleidoscopia” and “I Heart Unicorns,” from its original TV series currently airing daily on Nick Jr. in the U.S.
Available at Walmart and Target stores nationwide, as well as online at Amazon, the first DVD features eight episodes from season one of Rainbow Rangers, plus original music videos. The second DVD features six Rainbow Rangers episodes and two bonus specials. The debut of the new DVDs follows the initial retail rollout of Rainbow Rangers branded merchandise, including a full-scale Halloween program, featuring an in-store exclusive with Walmart, and a direct to retail program with Spirit Halloween, as well as an assortment of costumes and accessories at online retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, Party City, and halloweencostumes.com. Additional products available for Rainbow Rangers include apparel from Bentex on Amazon; storybooks from Macmillan Publishing at Target.com, Walmart.com, and Barnes & Noble; bicycles from Dynacraft at Walmart.com and Kohl’s.com; and stationery items from Inkology on Amazon. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Genius Brands also just released a series of PSAs available to broadcasters and platforms worldwide that feature children’s brands from the company’s catalog, including Rainbow Rangers.
“For years, I have been championing the timeless value of animation as an asset class. As we find ourselves in a time of turmoil dominating the news — Coronavirus, Brexit, oil prices, interest rates — and their impact on the global economy, the release of our DVD content across the gold standard of retail — Walmart, Target and Amazon — further underscores that animated cartoons flourish in virtually any climate,” said Andy Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Genius Brands. “Despite the effects of the global economy, kids will continue to watch cartoons, and the growing success of Rainbow Rangers and its distribution on DVD emphasizes that point. As more and more live content is consumed online, the category of children’s animation entertainment, meanwhile, stands apart and delivers a very robust business of physical DVD product for the major retailers.”
“The launch of our original preschool brand, Rainbow Rangers, at retail is just beginning, and we are building a lot of momentum with key retail partners set across multiple categories, including the debut of our Rainbow Rangers toy program,” said Jon Ollwerther, EVP, Global Brand & Business Development, Genius Brands. “We are thrilled with the retail placement that our partner Distribution Solutions secured for the first DVD releases of this special series, and we look forward to working with them as we expand globally.”
“We are excited to collaborate with our partners at Genius Brands on the global rollout of Rainbow Rangers, and to offer young viewers and their families more ways to interact with their favorite characters and express their fandom,” commented Ben Means, President, Distribution Solutions. “These DVD releases from Season one are the kick off to a regular cadence of DVD releases planned throughout the year.”
Rainbow Rangers, which airs on Nick Jr. in the U.S. Monday – Friday with four airings per day, and six airings on the weekends, is a rescue-based series that follows the adventures of seven girls who are Earth’s first responders, protecting people, animals, resources, and the natural beauty of the world.
The series boasts a team of creators from the animated motion picture and television worlds, including Rob Minkoff (Disney’s The Lion King director), Shane Morris (Disney’s Frozen co-writer), Tim Mansfield, and writer Elise Allen (Dinosaur Train, Lion Guard, Barbie specials), who serves as head writer and co-creator. Michael Maliani directs the series, and Genius Brands’ Chairman and CEO Andy Heyward serves as executive producer.