Crayola launches 'Colors of the World' crayon set with diverse skin tones to cultivate inclusiveness

Inclusivity is finally entering the world of crayons, thanks to Crayola. The beloved handicraft company recently unveiled its "Colors of the World" crayon box, featuring 24 new crayon colors representing over 40 skin tones across the globe. Introduced with the aim of cultivating "a more inclusive world for children of all ages, races, cultures, and ethnicities," the new shades range from medium almond to very light rose to extra deep golden. With the introduction of the "Colors of the World" line, the company becomes the latest in line to heed the call for inclusivity and representation.

Launching the new crayon shades on May 21, the U.N. World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, Crayola CEO Rich Wuerthele said: "With the world growing more diverse than ever before, Crayola hopes our new Colors of the World crayons will increase representation and foster a greater sense of belonging and acceptance. We want the new Colors of the World crayons to advance inclusion within creativity and impact how kids express themselves."

According to the company's press release, to ensure that the new crayons reflect an accurate and inclusive skin tone palette, Crayola conducted rigorous consumer testing and partnered with Victor Casale, who was previously the Chief Chemist and Managing Director, R&D of MAC cosmetics. Casale was also Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Cover FX and currently serves as the CEO of MOB Beauty. He has over 30 years of experience in creating foundation colors for global skin tones. The crayons were developed by learning from Casale's scientific process for developing inclusive foundation shades and took over eight months to perfect.

"I have spent my life trying to create truly global shade palettes because I know what it's like to be with a person who has finally found their exact match. They feel included and recognized, and I am hoping every child who uses these crayons and finds their shade will have that feeling," said Casale. "Growing up, I remember mixing the pink and dark brown crayons to try and make my shade, so I was thrilled when Crayola asked for my help to create the Colors of the World crayons." He and Crayola created "crayon colors that step down from light to deep shades across rose, almond, and golden undertones, resulting in a 24 global shade palette that authentically reflects the full spectrum of human complexions," said the company.

Mimi Dixon, Manager Brand Equity and Activation at Crayola, praised Casale's involvement in the development of "Colors of the World", saying: "Crayola first launched its multicultural product platform in 1992, so we are thrilled about the new Colors of World innovation and the unique partnership with Victor. What intrigued Crayola about Victor was not only his extensive experience in creating shades that capture the natural beauty of every skin tone but his abiding passion and commitment nurturing inclusion and representation. His expertise, candor, and guidance throughout the development process was invaluable and brings an enhanced level of credibility and authenticity to the Colors of the World product."

Each box of "Colors of the World" will also feature a color reference side panel and a gradient skin tone label around each crayon with its name written in English, Spanish, and French. The company stated that each color has been purposefully given a realistic color name—such as Light Golden, Deep Almond, and Medium Deep Rose—to help kids easily find the shade they identify as their own. The crayons will come in a 24 and 32-count pack and will begin to hit shelves in July ahead of back-to-school season. The 32-count crayon pack will be sold exclusively at Walmart and will include four hair and four eye colors in addition to the 24 new skin shades. Those interested in this pack can pre-order here and those looking to purchase the 24-count pack have the option of pre-ordering from Crayola's website here.