Crayola is taking its fans and little ones back in time with the return of eight retired colours due to an “outpouring of requests,” the company announced Wednesday.
The iconic arts and crafts brand said it will start selling a crayon box featuring the following nostalgic colours later this month:
• Blizzard Blue (retired in 2003)
• Magic Mint (retired in 2003)
• Mulberry (retired in 2003)
• Dandelion (retired in 2017)
• Orange Red (retired in 1990)
• Violet Blue (retired in 1990)
• Lemon Yellow (retired in 1990)
• Raw Umber (retired in 1990)
It’s the first time in Crayola’s 122-year history that it has brought back retired colours, the company said in a press release Wednesday.
Crayola said the retired colours will be available in other products, such as markers, coloured pencils, activity kits and themed colouring books. They will be sold for a limited time this year at most Canadian retailers.
“Every day, fans ask us to bring back retired crayons. After we retired Dandelion in 2017, the outpouring of requests was overwhelming,” Margot Somerville, director of product, marketing and communications with Crayola Canada, said in a statement.
Crayola says it was also inspired to bring the colours out of retirement to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its Crayola Colour Census, a poll of consumers' favourite colours.
Somerville said colour is “pivotal” in inspiring creativity.
“For fans old and new, colour is personal and plays a significant role in educational, emotional and cognitive growth. Before children can learn to think for themselves, they must be free to express what they’re thinking.”
‘A great move by Crayola’
The decision to give consumers a nostalgic fix, even if temporary, could boost the brand and make it stand out from the competition, says Bruce Winder, a retail analyst in Mississauga, Ont.
As a national brand selling products at premium prices, Crayola has to work harder to earn brand loyalty, he suggested.
“I think it’s exciting. I think it’s a great move by Crayola,” Winder said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. “It’s great that Crayola is listening to its customers and giving them the products that they’re asking for.”
Rekindling childhood memories may draw more interest and resonate with consumers on an emotional level, Winder suggested.
“I think it has the potential for deep engagement with their customers, and when you engage with your customers correctly based on what’s relevant, you increase sales and increase margins,” he added. “I think it’s just a very good brand. … they just have that deep childhood connection.”
Impact of colour
Crayola conducted a nationwide study in partnership with the Ad Council Research Institute. Its study found that nine in 10 parents believe colour has a “significant impact” on creativity and is “vital” to their child’s development. In addition, the study found that 96 per cent of parents encourage their kids to use colour to bring their imagination to life.
The study was conducted online from Oct. 16 to 23, 2024, with 1,503 parents of kids aged two to 12. Two-thirds of respondents were mothers and one-third were fathers.
The Easton, Pa.-based company has evolved since launching its first eight-crayon box in 1903, featuring the colours red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown and black, which sold for a nickel.
Back in 2020, it introduced new “Colors of the World” crayon packs representing the world’s skin tones, CNN reported.
Correction
This story was updated to correct the retirement year for Orange Red, Violet Blue, Lemon Yellow and Raw Umber as 1990.
