Crayons - the stuff childhood memories are made of. Remember when it came to colouring in skin tones? Our options were limited to brown or white. If you really wanted to get creative, you'd combine specific colours to get the right skin tone, but it never matched up to reality.
That's all about to change now. Handicraft brand Crayola has launched a new box of crayons called “Colours of the World” which it is hoping will help “cultivate a more inclusive world for children of all ages, races, cultures and ethnicities".
With crayons representing more than 40 different skin tones, the colours will range from light rose to deepest almond.
“With the world growing more diverse than ever before, Crayola hopes our new Colours of the World crayons will increase representation and foster a greater sense of belonging and acceptance,” Rich Wuerthele, CEO of Crayola, said in a statement.
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“We want the new Colours of the World crayons to advance inclusion within creativity and impact how kids express themselves.”
To make sure the brand stays true to its inclusive message, each box will feature a colour reference side panel, as well as a gradient skin tone label around each crayon with the colour name written in English, Spanish and French.
And to make sure each colour is a true reflection of an "accurate skin tone palette", they even consulted with Victor Casale, CEO of MOB Beauty, famed for creating skin foundations for MAC.
The crayons will come in a 24 or 32-pack and will be available to purchase in the US from July. No word yet if it will be released globally, including South Africa.