Crayola Mulicultural Crayon Set
September 2nd, 2008
Design:
Client: Crayola
Date: 2005
- filed under “Not Canadian” –
A product that was inspired from the Canadian multicultural experience. These Crayons were designed to represent the various skin tones present in contemporary society and for children to not feel left out at play time. In the US, this little box has generated a firestorm of controversy around it but in Canada it was launched quietly with little fanfare.
If you remember, there used to be a little peach coloured crayon in the previous Crayon packs called Flesh. After considerable push back from the Canadian market, this wax stick caused Crayola to reimagine their products in the early eighties. The messy situation was loud enough, that companies offering flesh tone products (ie. BandAid’s) heard it, and adjusted their approach, relaunching most products as neutral (ie. BandAids Clear), or more sensitive to the issue of race.
Times change and it is interesting to see how products change with them (although this one was not not quick, it took over a decade to see the results.)
-Todd Falkowsky
Bottom image created by Nathan Gibbs.
Entry Filed under: Games and Toys
4 Comments Add your own
1. J Scandrett | September 6th, 2008 at 19:49
Brilliant and sooo Canadian!
2. Consumatron » Pocke&hellip | September 7th, 2008 at 22:11
[...] Those multicultural crayons caused an uproar in the U.S. when they were released, but received very little attention in Canada. All I want to know is, who is the color of the crayon on the far right? Were these crayons developed after a viewing of the movie, Powder? (Canadian Design Resource) [...]
3. Michael Greco | September 12th, 2008 at 21:06
I’m pretty sure these crayons first appeared in Canada earlier than 2005.
I remember reading a news item on these back in the mid-nineties. I think the article was in ‘What!’, a commercial magazine distributed in Canadian high schools.
4. Reuben Warren | November 24th, 2009 at 18:41
Now they also make crayon maker. By Simply poping on a candelabra bulb (as specified in the instructions that come with the entire set), bring in some crayons for melting, and crayon is ready… Here is where I found it http://crayolacrayonmaker.net
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