Building on the popularity of adult coloring books, Crayola launched a campaign called 'Art With Edge' that used a beloved childhood pastime to help stressed out college students get through their final exams.
Art With Edge was a campaign developed by Crayola and Red Interactive Agency to help college students relieve exam stress by creating "surprise and delight moments." Whenever a student conveyed their stress over social media, Crayola reach out and gifted them Crayola products, gift cards and even pizza. Students responded with delight over the new coloring supplies and the brand reported significantly more social media engagement over the course of the campaign.
While Crayola is not traditionally a brand associated with college students, the social media campaign demonstrates how the company was able to capitalize on the adult coloring phenomenon to reach college-age consumers.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Adult Coloring Trend
- There is a growing trend of adults finding stress relief through coloring activities.
- Brands Targeting College Students
- More brands are recognizing the value of targeting college students through creative and personalized marketing campaigns.
- Surprise and Delight Marketing
- Surprise and delight marketing strategies are becoming an effective way to engage with consumers and create positive brand experiences.
Where This Applies
- Art Supplies
- The art supplies industry can leverage the adult coloring trend by developing innovative and high-quality coloring products specifically targeting adults.
- Education
- The education industry can explore incorporating coloring activities into stress management initiatives to help students cope with exam pressures and mental health challenges.
- Social Media Marketing
- The social media marketing industry can learn from Crayola's successful surprise and delight campaign to create engaging and personalized experiences for consumers.
