"Creativity is not just a nice-to-do activity, but in fact, it's something that is a critical life skill for kids and an incredible kind of a joyful moment of expression for adults," said Victoria Lozano, CMO at Crayola, on a recent “Behind the Numbers” podcast.

For more than 120 years, Crayola has been woven into childhoods. Now in the second year of its "Campaign For Creativity," the iconic brand is expanding its mission beyond art supplies to position creativity as an essential skill for today's digital-native children.

How Crayola evolves while staying true to its heritage

Crayola's "Campaign For Creativity" aims to elevate the conversation around creativity's importance while helping parents overcome practical barriers to nurturing it in their children.

"There's a ton of empirical research that really proves the incredible value of creativity as a life skill that helps kids reach their full potential," Lozano said. "We know parents believe it at a high level, but they sort of struggle with being able to act upon it, and that's where Crayola comes in."

The campaign takes a two-pronged approach: Encouraging creative moments at home while supporting creativity in classrooms through programs like Crayola Creativity Week, which helps teachers incorporate creative approaches into core subjects.

• Research shows hands-on creative activities significantly improve learning outcomes.
• "The ability to read and learn about a solar system from textbooks is very different than if you actually make a model of the solar system that enables you to not only learn, but retain that knowledge," said Lozano.

Balancing digital and tactile experiences

As children increasingly engage with digital content, Crayola has expanded beyond traditional art supplies to meet them where they are, without abandoning its tactile roots.

"The canvas does not need to be only physical," Lozano said. "Creativity should not be confined to either/or. There's no reason why creativity could not show up on the screen as well, as long as it's the right type of content and it's encouraging the right type of interaction."

This approach has led to digital offerings like the Create and Play app (consistently among the top apps on Apple Arcade), Scribble Scrubbie Pets app, and Crayola Adventures, all designed to provide creative digital experiences that parents can trust.

This balanced approach resonates with parents.

"When it came time to explore what apps are good or available for kids, Crayola's apps were ones I felt very comfortable with and safe allowing my child to use,” said our analyst Sky Canaves.

Leveraging nostalgia while innovating for today's families

Crayola's ability to evoke nostalgia while staying relevant is a key strength.

• The brand recently brought back eight retired colors for a limited time, generating tremendous response from adults who remembered them from childhood.
• "Nostalgia is really huge," Lozano said. "We wanted to tell the story around the importance of color in our lives and how color helps inspire our creativity."

Beyond digital apps, Crayola has expanded into location-based entertainment with Crayola Experience venues, immersive attractions where families can spend 3-4 hours engaged in creative activities without the setup or cleanup that often deters at-home art projects.

"It's an opportunity for you as a family to come, make some positive family memories," said Lozano. "For us, it also allows us to showcase some of the products and technologies that Crayola has to offer." The company is expanding these experiences beyond current US locations to China and South Korea.

Listen to the full episode

This article was prepared with the assistance of generative AI tools to support content organization, summarization, and drafting. All AI-generated contributions have been reviewed, fact-checked, and verified for accuracy and originality by EMARKETER editors. Any recommendations reflect EMARKETER’s research and human judgment.

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