Is the "earthy" scent of Crayola unique to that brand? The company filed for U.S. trademark protection on a distinctive sensory aspect to its crayons, and it was awarded last month, capping at least six years of attempts by the company.
In July, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a trademark to the arts and crafts giant for the smell of its crayons — that waxy scent of a childhood spent trying to colour within the lines. While it's too soon for this back-to-school season, Ruggiero imagines one day pumping it through the aisles of retailers, triggering nostalgia while shoppers are browsing and hopefully buying more crayons.
The news story above doesn't seem to link to the trademark—here it is—or quote it in full, despite it being only one sentence long.
"The mark consists of a scent reminiscent of a slightly earthy soap with pungent, leather-like clay undertones."
Delicious! It's not mentioned in the story (beyond pointing out that the trademark was initially denied) but I wonder if the "earthy" scent is characteristic of high-quality ingredients that other brands don't use, but have begun imitating with fragrances.
Crayola, a unit of Hallmark, first applied for the trademark in 2018 and was initially turned down less than a year later, but won its bid on appeal. During the process, the company shared examples of its own crayons as well as competitors to verify the distinctiveness.
