Through its social media accounts and YouTube channels, the toy manufacturer MGA Entertainment keeps a close eye on the superfans for its several characters.
Since its release in the middle of 2020, the Rainbow High doll line has succeeded. MGA has developed a brand around female characters who attend a performing arts high school through a regular supply of short-form content via YouTube and a Netflix-licensed series. It’s a prime example of how, beyond product placement in Saturday morning cartoons, content is evolving into business. The expansion of the doll line and the storytelling carried out through digital material are intertwined at Rainbow High.
Anne Parducci, the chief content officer for Chatsworth-based MGA Entertainment, told Variety that to give the dolls personalities, “we had to construct the tale behind them. We had to build a high school and the ecosystem of the planet. Rainbow High places great importance on music and content because this brand is about creativity and self-expression.
Undoubtedly, MGA favors the release of music associated with its brands. Recently, the entrance of Shadow High, a friendly competitor high school, has taken center stage in the Rainbow High storyline. The “Rainbow High” series’ Season 3 conclusion was commemorated by a song that was released in September. It has snarky references from the Shadow High gang to the “bougie high across the street,” where “everyone’s so perfect and so nice.”
Due to the success of “The School the Street,” MGA decided to create an animated music video that was released on December 26.
Through traditional TV, digital, and social media, MGA drives sales for brands like LOL Surprise, Little Tikes, Bratz, and Mermaze Mermaidz. Fresh information, however, ignites curiosity and engagement like nothing else. There are numerous winks to the most devoted Rainbow High fans in the “Shadow High” music video.
For brands including LOL Surprise, Little Tikes, Bratz, and Mermaze Mermaidz, MGA uses a combination of traditional TV, digital, and social media to boost sales. Fresh content, though, is what ignites curiosity and engagement. The “Shadow High” music video is rife with nods to the most devoted Rainbow High followers.
“We want them to deal with the material and the possibility.
According to Parducci, this helps to draw as many eyes to our brands as possible. According to the business, “This brand can engage consumers with information and music they can play at home,” the company claims.
The target market for the Rainbow High dolls is children aged 6 to 10. The content, which naturally leans toward the 8–10 age range, has been shown to appeal to more boys than the toy franchise itself. MGA keeps tabs on its fanbase through its dedicated Rainbow High YouTube channel, which has roughly 676,000 subscribers. The studio also maintains local-language YouTube accounts for the franchise, which helps it stretch its production budget.
“This is a very special situation for us. With a plan that coordinates our products, licensing, media, music, and social strategy all hitting at the same time, we can increase awareness very quickly, she added.
The Rainbow High brand’s success has been largely attributed to its emphasis on content expansions. MGA is planning more, including IP-driven efforts for the LOL Surprise brand. The business has also committed to producing its most ambitious original series, a live-action and CG hybrid version of the South Korean dinosaur series “Armored Saurus.” The project will be completed in 2024 as planned.