Guru signs master toy partnership for True

With demand for True and the Rainbow Kingdom CP growing, thanks to linear TV launches, the prodco has tapped United Smile to oversee this business.
June 15, 2021

Toronto-based Guru Studio has appointed United Smile as the first exclusive master toy partner for its 3D-animated preschool series True and the Rainbow Kingdom.

The Hong Kong-based toyco has already partnered with a handful of distributors to roll out a new line of toys based on the IP in their regions. Bandai (Spain), Imports Dragon (Canada and the US), First Group and Spacetoon (The Middle East), Toyriffic (Israel), Token Toys (Mexico) and Big Balloon and Haven Licensing (Australia) have all signed on to launch the range this fall, including figurines, vehicles, plush and musical dolls.

Netflix premiered Guru’s series about a magical girl who helps the citizens of Rainbow City in 2017. The studio first launched CP for the brand through a non-exclusive deal with Toy State—which shut down in 2018 after 34 years in business. Guru has since done deals with companies such as Aurora World and bRAND-WARD, but United Smile is the brand’s first master toy partner since Toy State.

Guru is working on producing more True content, and the new toys could help support that growth, says a Guru spokesperson. Linear broadcasters such as Tiny Pop (UK), Discovery Family (US) and TV Azteca (Mexico) picked the series up last year, and Guru says it’s now seeing increased demand for consumer products.

About The Author
Senior reporter for Kidscreen. Ryan covers tech, talent and general kids entertainment news, with a passion for kids rap content and video games. Have a story that's of interest to Kidscreen readers? Contact Ryan at rtuchow@brunico.com

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