Rainbow Crafts

Rainbow Crafts, Inc. was an American toy manufacturing company associated primarily with Play-Doh, the children's modeling compound that became one of the best-known creative-play products in the United States. The company was created and operated by Noah McVicker and his nephew Joseph McVicker as a subsidiary of Kutol Products, a Midwestern soap company. Rainbow Crafts operated under the McVicker family from 1956 until 1965. The company's central business was the manufacture and commercialization of Play-Doh. The product was a reusable, moldable compound intended for children's creative play. Rainbow Crafts held the relevant rights and managed the product during the period in which Play-Doh developed from a specialized compound into a toy-market offering. Its identity is therefore closely tied to the early corporate history of Play-Doh rather than to a broad portfolio of independently documented toy brands. In 1965, Rainbow Crafts was sold to General Mills together with all rights to Play-Doh. This transaction ended the company's operation under the McVickers and transferred control of its principal product to a much larger consumer-products corporation. Rainbow Crafts later merged with Kenner in 1971. The Rainbow Crafts corporate identity did not continue as an independent operating toy company after these ownership and structural changes. Play-Doh subsequently became associated with other owners and is currently manufactured by Hasbro. Rainbow Crafts is consequently best understood as a historical toy company and an important predecessor in the corporate lineage of the Play-Doh brand. Available reference material does not establish a separate current website, public listing, headquarters, executive team, or product range beyond its documented connection with Play-Doh.

Rainbow Crafts was established in 1956 as a subsidiary of Kutol Products, a Midwestern soap company. It was created and operated by Noah McVicker and his nephew Joseph McVicker. The company’s historical importance comes from its role in manufacturing and commercializing Play-Doh, a modeling compound intended for children. During its years under the McVickers, Rainbow Crafts operated as the corporate vehicle associated with Play-Doh. The available historical record identifies Play-Doh as the company’s defining product and does not document a broad independent portfolio of other major brands. Rainbow Crafts therefore occupied a specialized position in the toy industry: it connected a product originating within the wider Kutol business with the children’s toy market. In 1965, Rainbow Crafts was sold to General Mills. The transaction included all rights to Play-Doh and transferred the product to the portfolio of a substantially larger consumer-products company. This sale marked the end of Rainbow Crafts’ operation under the McVickers and was the decisive change in the company’s ownership and business structure. Rainbow Crafts later merged with Kenner in 1971. The merger further reduced the significance of Rainbow Crafts as an independent corporate identity, while Play-Doh continued through successive ownership arrangements. Hasbro currently manufactures Play-Doh, making Rainbow Crafts an earlier company in the product’s corporate history rather than its present owner or manufacturer. The available reference material does not provide a documented headquarters address, independent website, public-market listing, detailed executive succession, sales figures, or a wider set of Rainbow Crafts product lines. The company is accordingly classified as defunct, with its principal historical legacy being the early manufacture and ownership of Play-Doh.

• 1971

  Merger with Kenner

  [1]Rainbow Craftsen.wikipedia.org

  Rainbow Crafts merged with Kenner after the transfer of its ownership and Play-Doh rights to General Mills.

• 1965

  Sale to General Mills

  [1]Rainbow Craftsen.wikipedia.org

  General Mills acquired Rainbow Crafts together with all rights to Play-Doh.

• 1956

  Rainbow Crafts established

  [1]Rainbow Craftsen.wikipedia.org

  Rainbow Crafts was created as a subsidiary of Kutol Products and operated by Noah McVicker and Joseph McVicker.

Historical children's creative-play manufacturer centered on Play-Doh modeling compound.

• Modeling compound and creative-play toy

  Play-Doh

  Play-Doh is a reusable modeling compound designed for children's creative and tactile play. Rainbow Crafts manufactured and commercialized the product during its early corporate history and held the associated rights until the company was sold to General Mills in 1965. The product continued under later ownership and is currently manufactured by Hasbro.

• 1971

  Merger with KennerM&A

  Background

  After the 1965 sale to General Mills, Rainbow Crafts underwent a further corporate change.

  Action taken

  Rainbow Crafts merged with Kenner.

  Aftermath

  Rainbow Crafts ceased to operate as an independently identified toy company, while Play-Doh continued through subsequent ownership.

  Source

• 1965

  Sale of Rainbow Crafts and Play-Doh rights to General MillsM&A

  Background

  Rainbow Crafts had operated as a Kutol Products subsidiary under Noah McVicker and Joseph McVicker since 1956, with Play-Doh as its defining product.

  Action taken

  Rainbow Crafts was sold to General Mills together with all rights to Play-Doh.

  Aftermath

  The transaction ended the company's operation under the McVickers and moved Play-Doh into General Mills' ownership structure.

  Source

1. 1Rainbow Craftsen.wikipedia.org