Victoria Lozano Unveils Crayola Studios Strategy

In a MIPJunior session today moderated by TV Kids’ Kristin Brzoznowski, Victoria Lozano, executive VP at Crayola, unveiled the vision for Crayola Studios, including its new production deal with 9 Story Media Group.

“The question that I get asked most often is, Why is an arts and crafts company getting into entertainment?” said Lozano in her opening presentation, noting that the company was founded 120 years ago on the belief “that creativity is a life skill. There’s actually been an incredible amount of quantitative empirical research that has proven this.”

She continued: “Creativity develops core workplace skills that are important for any career, predicts career achievement, boosts educational attainment and supports well-being. Creativity matters.”

Crayola is expanding into the entertainment space with Crayola Studios “because kids need a champion,” Lozano said. “Who better than Crayola to really step up and advocate for this, to celebrate, to help parents nurture that creativity and to make a societal paradigm shift in how creativity is valued and nurtured?”

Crayola has long thought about its business through the lens of “360-degree touchpoints brought to life through products, experiences and content. Whether it’s products that we make or products that we partner with in terms of licensing or some creative cooperation; it could be retail partnerships, interactive experiences, social or digital content or educational programming. It is only natural that entertainment content plays a role in that mix. Crayola Studios was a natural extension of our strategy. Crayola Studios is based on wanting to create content that focuses on creative self-expression, that empowers kids, that helps them build their confidence.”

Following her introductory presentation, Lozano sat down for a Q&A with TV Kids’ executive editor, Kristin Brzoznowski. On the company’s development slate, she noted: “We’re building out a portfolio of projects that we would be proud of. That means across demos, genres and platforms.”

On the types of alliances the new venture is pursuing, Lozano noted: “We want to stay nimble and flexible. It is really about finding the right ideas and the right partnerships.”

The company’s first project, The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian, is being developed with 9 Story Media Group and MiMO Studios. It is the first in a multi-project development deal with 9 Story. Co-developed projects will be produced and distributed by 9 Story, with Crayola managing the licensing and merchandising for the franchises.

The new venture, while launching in a competitive, challenging landscape, has significant benefits given Crayola’s heritage. “We have virtually universal awareness in a lot of markets around the world. We have incredibly high household penetration, and we have a relationship with the consumer. We are in a unique position to be able to create a much richer experience for kids and families when it comes to entertainment content.”