Binney & Smith
Born at the beginning of the last century in the heart of the north-eastern United States, the Crayola brand is now known and appreciated worldwide and is marketed in over 60 countries.
The founders, cousins Edwin Binney and Harold Smith, took over an industrial pigment company and together began to expand the range of products offered. They won a gold medal at the St.Louis World Exhibition in 1903 for a new and innovative product: the first powder-free chalks created for teachers. They realised the great need for children’s colouring tools that were safe, reliable and colourful: thus the first wax crayons made from paraffin and natural pigments were born. 1903 saw the birth of the first iconic yellow and green pack of crayons with the name ‘Crayola’ coined by Binney’s wife by combining the French words ‘craie’ – chalk – and ‘oléagineux’ – oily.
It was an immediate success. Since then, Crayola colouring products have evolved more and more in line with the company values of tradition, innovation, respect for children’s needs and safety with safe, non-toxic, quality components and washable inks. At Crayola, everything revolves around children. They inspire our work, our products, our philosophy. Our ‘child-centred’ culture defines who we are and how we work. It helps us to create products that children want by inspiring us to think in exactly the same way as the little consumers whose happiness we make every day.
