Crayola Trademarks the Smell of Its Crayons

An anonymous reader writes: You may find yourself smelling crayons in the aisles of stores soon — if Crayola’s chief executive Pete Ruggiero has his way. 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 color 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.

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. It’s a “slightly earthy soap with pungent, leather-like clay undertones,” according to the trademark documents.