The Licensing Mixtape: How Crayola Brought Back Creativity During the ‘New Normal’

Crayola has been a seminal brand for families for more than 117 years. The classic crayon brand has provided creative inspiration and comfort for generations of families. Its colorful role in consumers’ lives became even more important as families began to stick closer to home this year. As students around the world adjusted to new measures at school due to COVID-19, Crayola found novel ways to provide much needed products to families.

From branded face masks to colorful hand sanitizer, Crayola pivoted in 2020 to play a crucial role in ensuring students getting back to school had the new materials they need. To get a sense of Crayola’s efforts, License Global recently hosted April Heeren, general manager of domestic licensing, Crayola on The Licensing Mixtape podcast. In this special Festival of Licensing episode, Heeren highlights the unique products that Crayola debuted this year and the unique role that the brand plays in getting kids used to our “new normal.”

“Our goal was to make wearing the mask to school a little bit less scary, and it really does tie in nicely with that core equity of Crayola which is all of our fabulous colors,” says Heeren during the podcast.

Hear the full interview in the latest episode of "The Licensing Mixtape," and be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud or Spotify. 

The Licensing Mixtape · Episode 10: Crafting Creative Engagement with Crayola