New writing instruments are fashion-conscious

Drug Store News, Feb 2, 1991

New writing instruments are fashion-conscious

During the BTS season there will be plenty of writing items in neon colors to satisfy kids' yen novelties and fads.

Writing instrument makers are casting a color-spangled net of fashion and novelty products to help retailers reel in a big catch of student shoppers this Back-to-School season.

Neon will be very much in evidence again this year, and barrels will reflect the latest fashion designs and textures, ranging from Pentech's textured-fabric wrapped "Fiberz" ballpoints to tie-dye and jungle inspired designs in Bic's Wavelengths line. To tune in to teen preferences, Bic even let teen focus groups help name the products in the line, with results like "Rad Writers," "Animal Skins" and "Heat Waves."

Foil and colors

Retailers will also be seeing foil-wrapped items, such as one in Empire-Berol's new Trend Line, and color-coordinated writing instrument sets, like the bold shades of turquoise, pink, purple and yellow/black in Pilot's Colours line. Other colors coming on strong are teal, green and black.

In addition to the bright plumage most writing instruments will display this B-T-S season, Faber-Castell and Pentech are among manufacturers who will have unvarnished wood "raw" or "natural" pencils, to appeal to those who buy "green."

Some companies, aware that many youngsters need help while their fine motor skills are developing, are bringing out pens and pencils especially shaped, textured or grooved to help them get a better grip on things, such as Empire Berol's triangular-shaped pencils and Scripto-Tokai's rubberized barrels.

Vendors are introducing more value-added and multi-packs than ever this year, to offer consumers better variety and value. They also seem to be increasingly favoring blister-card packaging over plastic pouches for peggables, viewing it as the best way to display fashion items and to be environmentally friendly, by using recycled paperboard for the cards.

Items for kids

There will be plenty of writing items to satisfy kids' yen for novelty and fads, too, such as Pentel's Flexiboll capless ballpoint, which comes in a multi-pack with neon-colored shoelaces and a refill cartridge.

What's its gimmick? It bends in the middle, making it, says Pentel, "the wackiest pen ever."

In the highlighters and markers segment, Pentech is introducing the Bookmarker, a chisel-point highlighter thin enough to use as a book mark, with added features of a pocket clip and graphic inch and centimeter measurements on the barrel. And Faber-Castell has "UniCombi," a two-in-one instrument consisting of ball pen at one end and highlighter at the other.

$25,000 tuition sweepstakes

Many vendors are unveiling B-T-S consumer promotions. Among them: a $25,000 college tuition sweepstakes co-promotion by Scripto-Tokai and Thermos Lunch Kits, a multi-million-dollar ad campaign in teen and fashion magazines and on cable TV and USA Network by Bic, a $100,000 "Win-in-an-Instant" consumer game from Pilot Pen, and a Pentel Special Olympics tie-in. [Tabular Data Omitted]