PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN 8
The Client
Crayola was originally a company called Binney & Smith, named for its two founders, who
created the company in 1885. They originally produced “red oxide pigment used in barn paint
and carbon black used for car tires.” They continued to create various products and, in 1903,
produced the first box of Crayola crayons, after noticing there was a need for “safe, quality,
affordable wax crayons.” The name Crayola was coined by one of the founder’s wives. “Craie”
means chalk in French, and “ola” is taken from the word oleaginous, which means oily
(“Company history,” n.d.).
As the company grew in popularity, Crayola responded to requests for more colors and created
the 48 pack of crayons in 1949 (Hall, 2005) . In 1993, in honor of its 90
th
anniversary, the
company created the 94 pack, the largest box of crayons it has created to date ( “Company
history,” n.d.).
Crayola may be synonymous to “crayons” to many. However, while best known for crayons,
Crayola is also the producer of Silly Putty and professional art supplies through its brand
Portfolio Series (Stein, 2015).
Crayola has been owned by Hallmark Cards since 1984 (“History,” n.d.). The company’s
Northampton County, Pennsylvania, campus employs more than 700 people, including 100 or
more employees at the company’s headquarters (Hall, 2005). Worldwide, the company
employed 1,250 in 2014 (“Company history,” n.d.). The company’s financial information is not
publicly available, as Crayola is privately owned and does not offer a financial report to the
public (“FAQ,” n.d.)