Crayola is one of the most iconic and recognizable brands of crayons and art supplies in the world. With its bright colors, familiar packaging, and clever names for each crayon shade, Crayola has captured the imaginations of children and adults alike for over a century. But where exactly does the name “Crayola” come from, and what is the history behind this creative company?
The Origins of Crayola
Crayola was founded in 1885 by cousins Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith in Easton, Pennsylvania. Originally, the company was known as Binney & Smith, named after its founders. Binney and Smith had developed a line of coloring pigments used for painting houses and barns, but noticed that many teachers were using the pigments for art projects in schools. This inspired them to create specially formulated wax crayons for children to use.
The first Crayola crayons were produced in 1903, consisting of a box of 8 colors selling for just 5 cents. The crayons were an instant success, leading Binney & Smith to change the focus of their company entirely to art supplies for children. By 1904, they were producing 38 different colors of wax crayons.
Where Does the Name “Crayola” Come From?
The Crayola brand name was created by combining the French word “craie,” meaning chalk or crayon, with the Latin word “ola,” meaning oy or mass. Put together, “Crayola” translated to roughly “crazy mass of color.”
The name Crayola was officially trademarked and registered by Binney & Smith in 1907. However, Crayola crayons were still branded under the company name Binney & Smith in their packaging and advertising at first. The Crayola name did not start appearing directly on Crayola crayon boxes until after World War I.
By the 1920s, the Crayola brand name was firmly established and the association between Crayola and Binney & Smith’s art supplies for kids was cemented in the public consciousness.
The Evolution of Crayola Crayons
Crayola has introduced many innovations and new products over its history while retaining the classic Crayola crayon experience. Here are some key milestones in Crayola’s evolution:
| 1903 | First box of 8 Crayola crayons sold |
| 1904 | Expanded to 38 named colors |
| 1928 | Box of 52 colors introduced |
| 1949 | First crayons with built-in sharpeners produced |
| 1958 | 64 color box with Crayola’s famous stubby shape debuts |
| 1972 | Fluorescent crayons released |
| 1993 | 96 color box with Crayola’s longest crayon names introduced |
| 2002 | Begin selling crayons in 100+ color packs |
| 2023 | Currently offer 120+ crayon colors and art materials for all ages |
As we can see, Crayola built their reputation on continually improving, innovating, and expanding the options available to budding young artists over the past century.
Behind the Crayon Names
Part of Crayola’s charm has always been the creative and quirky names they assign to each distinct crayon shade. Early crayon assortments were simply labeled with generic color names or numbers. It wasn’t until the late 1920s that Crayola began naming their crayon hues with imaginative titles.
The very first Crayola crayon names introduced in 1927 included standards like Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Violet, and Yellow. But they also featured more fanciful labels like Gold, Silver, Copper, Sky Blue, Carnation Pink, Blue Green, and Red Violet.
By the time the 64 color box rolled out in 1958, Crayola crayon names had expanded to become even more descriptive and whimsical. Alongside basics like Burnt Sienna, Gray, Apricot and White, you could now find colors called Mauvelous, Tickle Me Pink, Vivid Tangerine, Beaver, Macaroni and Cheese, and Outer Space.
Often the crayon titles were chosen based on popular culture trends, characters from children’s books and television shows, or words and concepts that would spark kids’ imaginations. Crayola has solicited name ideas from their fans over the years, resulting in creative crayon monikers like Fuzzy Wuzzy, Purple Mountain’s Majesty, Piggy Pink, Mango Tango, and Jazzberry Jam.
There are now 120 standard Crayola crayon colors, each with their own unique name and personality. Poring over the names and arranging the crayons in color order is all part of the artistic adventure for Crayola fans and collectors.
Specialty Crayons
Beyond their classic wax crayons, Crayola has introduced many specialty crayon lines and unique coloring formats over the company’s history. Some of the most notable include:
Metallic Crayons – Wax crayons with shimmering metallic colors, first sold as a 24-crayon set in 1992.
Multicultural Crayons – A 32-crayon assortment representing human skin tones diverse ethnicities, launched in 1992.
Neon Crayons – Vibrant, fluorescent-colored crayons first introduced in 1972.
Fabric Crayons – Wax crayons specially formulated for coloring on fabrics, clothing and textiles, introduced in 1980.
Washable Crayons – Soluble, non-staining crayons designed for coloring books and minimizes messes, starting from 1997.
Twistables Crayons – Pop-up twist crayons with no sharpening required, launched in 1997.
Window Crayons – Crayons for drawing on glass windows without leaving residue, starting in 2007.
Large/Jumbo Crayons – Extra-large sized crayons for easier gripping by young children, introduced in 1976.
Sidewalk Chalk – Jumbo chalk sticks for coloring on pavement outdoors, starting in 1958.
This wide spectrum of specialty coloring formats allowed Crayola to expand their customer base and meet the creative needs of all ages.
The Business of Crayola
Binney & Smith became one of the largest art supply companies in the country through the success of its Crayola brand crayons. Crayola products now represent about 80% of the company’s sales. Here are some interesting business facts about Crayola:
– Currently produces nearly 3 billion crayons per year.
– Manufactures over 1,500 different types of Crayola products including crayons, colored pencils, markers, modeling clay, chalk, paints, and craft kits.
– Operates production facilities in Easton, PA and Mexico with distribution worldwide.
– Estimated annual revenues of over $1 billion from Crayola segment.
– Parent company Binney & Smith (now part of Hallmark Cards company) employs approximately 2,500 people.
– National Crayon Day on March 31 honors the company and its iconic creations.
– The Crayola Experience interactive family attractions have welcomed over 20 million visitors.
– Launched their first colored pencil in 1990 and first markers in 1994.
Thanks to the continued quality, innovation, and universal appeal of its colorful products, Crayola has achieved and maintained market dominance in school and art supplies for children. The Crayola brand is now considered one of the “100 Best Global Brands” according to brand valuation consultancies. And it all began with a simple box of wax crayons bearing a clever made-up name.
Crayola’s Impact on Art and Culture
Crayola crayons are designed to encourage open-ended creativity and artistic experimentation. The act of choosing colors from the enticing rainbow of options and applying them to paper is a foundational experience for young imaginations. Crayola’s high quality pigments and smooth wax consistency also allow for advanced techniques like blending, shading, and color mixing. Many accomplished artists got their start scribbling with Crayola crayons in childhood.
The nostalgic emotional connection many adults have to Crayola products has made Crayola a prominent part of pop culture as well. The familiar colors, scent, and tactile wax tips evoke a sense of simplicity and innocence. Crayola has collaborated on branded merchandise with companies like Target, Old Navy, and Converse. They have been referenced in songs, films, and even featured in museum art exhibitions.
Crayola’s cultural influence goes beyond just their physical products. The company has contributed colorful language to our vocabulary in the form of their inventive crayon names. Phrases like “Tickle Me Pink,” “Burnt Sienna,” and “Macaroni and Cheese” have taken on new connotations thanks to Crayola crayons. Their clever titles make the act of coloring more imaginative and meaningful.
Perhaps most importantly, Crayola has helped kids and adults alike gain confidence in self-expression and identifying their inner creative spirit. The idea that creating art can be as simple as picking up a crayon and putting color to paper is a gift Crayola has given to generation after generation.
Crayola Today and In the Future
Crayola LLC remains dedicated to its original vision of providing creative tools and inspiration to children of all ages and backgrounds. They continue releasing new products tailored to the interests and needs of modern kids, like scented markers, body paints, and coloring pages tied to popular movies.
At the same time, Crayola understands and embraces the nostalgia many adults feel toward their classic crayons. They regularly issue limited edition specialty boxes and retro-inspired crayon sets to appeal to long-time fans. Crayola also partners with licensing deals to create officially branded coloring books, arts and crafts kits, clothing, home furnishings, and more.
The Crayola brand has thrived for over a century by combining business savvy with an unwavering focus on imagination, innovation, quality, and child development. As long as there are new generations of kids to capture, Crayola will likely remain the preeminent name in children’s art supplies. Going forward, we can expect Crayola to continue leveraging technology and digital platforms but without losing sight of their origins in simple crayons and colors. Whatever the future holds, Crayola will undoubtedly color it bright.
