Voting Begins For Crayola New Blue Crayon Name — ‘Star Spangled Blue’ Tops List

Crayola’s new blue crayon almost has an official new name. Crayola revealed the top five contestants from a pool of fan-chosen names on Friday, June 30, 2017. The names are part of a month-long survey of fans that ended on June 2. Fans were free to submit their suggestions to Crayola’s website. Almost 90,000 names were submitted, and were evaluated according to their creativity and whether the name captured “the spirit and innovation of this new-to-the-world blue.”

In alphabetic order, the top five names are

• Bluetiful
• Dreams Come Blue
• Moon Bliss
• Reach for the Stars
• Star Spangled Blue

The new blue crayon plays to fans, as Crayola said that in previous polls and surveys, blue has always come out on top when fans are asked to pick. The CEO of Crayola, Smith Holland, said in a statement that with the new crayon, Crayola strives to continue to provide inspiration to both kids and those who remain kids at heart.

“We are a company all about kids, creativity and color, so we strive to keep our color palette innovative and on-trend.”

The new crayon was unveiled to the public back in May of 2017, roughly a month after Crayola announced that it would be retiring the yellow-orange Dandelion crayon from its 24-count boxes. The retirement of Dandelion is the first time that a crayon has been pulled from a box set in Crayola’s 100-year history. However, Crayola has retired other crayons before, including mint, teal blue, and mulberry.

The New Blue

The new blue color was inspired by the blue pigment that was discovered in 2009 by chemists at Oregon State University. That pigment, dubbed YInMn Blue, was discovered in a happy accident when researchers were looking to find a new compound for use in electronic equipment. The name comes from the three elements that comprise the pigment, Yttrium (Y), Indium (In), and Manganese (Mn).

The lead of the team of researchers, Mas Subramanian, said that the compound formed with manganese oxide was mixed with other chemicals and then heated to nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The color results when the manganese ions are formed into a specific crystal formation. This crystal is able to absorb red and green light and thus only reflects blue. The crystals are so durable and stable that the color does not fade, even when immersed in oil or water.

Another significant property of this new pigment is that it is completely made of non-toxic materials. Every other blue pigment previously known to date has had at least some toxicity involved. That is important as any new products made with this pigment will not have to worry about side effects. YInMn Blue is also finding applications in roofing because it reflects about 40 percent of all infrared radiation. This is much higher than any other blue pigment, making it a prime candidate for energy efficient applications.

Getting In On The Action

Crayola didn’t just count on fans to pick the top five names. Voting is now open for fans to select the final name. The voting takes place from July 1 to August 31, 2017. In addition, everyone who votes will be entered to win one of several prizes. There’s a daily prize of a Crayola Air Marker Sprayer available. There are also five grand prizes available that will be awarded after the voting period. The grand prize is a $100 gift pack, a $1,000 pre-paid debit card, and an all-expenses paid trip for four to the Crayola Experience in Orlando, Florida. Additionally, a $1,000 donation will be made to the school art program of each winner’s choice.

Voting is available every day to all people age 13 and over at Crayola’s website here.

[Featured Image by Richard Drew/AP Images]