Crayola Stages Out-Of Retirement Crayon Event in NYC
In honor of International Colour Day, Crayola staged a celebration event in a loft in Union Square in New York City.
As part of the celebration, Crayola announced the return of eight previously retired colors for a limited time. The company created a whimsical storyline that suggested that since they were retired, these crayons, anthropomorphically imagined as characters, have traveled the world having new experience. These well-traveled crayons will be available in eight-packs while the promotion runs.
A spokesperson for the company said that they were expecting approximately 600 people to come through, and there were interactive stations for each of the colors, highlighting regions of the world with plenty of chances for kids to play.
Live Events Re-Emerging
This event is the latest in an overall return to promotional events in the toy industry. They were a staple of marketing programs for many years, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s and are particularly effective for established brands like Crayola to foster engagement. After all, how many 122-year-old brands are still going strong in the toy industry…or any industry for that matter.
Today, the impact of these events can be amplified with influencers, and the early morning session at the Crayola event was, sometimes literally, crawling with them.
These events, however, reinforce the value and the power of hands-on experience (aka play) for the toy industry. For games, vehicles, dolls, and, of course, compounds, hands-on is far more compelling for children than almost any other marketing tactic.
But it’s not just the toy industry, there have been pop-ups for everything from retailers, to beauty brands, to sports brands and food around New York City in recent months. The plaza outside the old Toy Building at 23rd & 5th has become the new go-to location for interactive events. With the warmer weather coming, look for more of that to come.
Personally, I’m unlikely to stand in line for 45 minute to try a new kind of donut, but there are hundreds who will, and you can’t beat the personal touch for building brand awareness and buzz. (And besides, those of us just walk by are involved, too.)
Oh, and Crayola isn’t done yet. They’re planning another event on April 4th, in celebration of National Dandelion Day, featuring Dan D…the retired dandelion yellow crayons.
Check out more pics from the event:
Oh, and as for this “National ____ Day” thing, don’t think it doesn’t work. Back in the day, we created National Cigar Lovers’ Day for the Cigar Association of America. (Yes, it’s a thing, or was)…and the media ate it up.
