By Bob Wrenn
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 11, 1997

Box of crayons campaign is 'thoughtful'

Editor:

Students McCoy and Tynan found the crayon image of one box same colors and another box multicolors with the question, "Which one would you choose?" to be revolting. I found the image to be thoughtful. Obviously there is no right or wrong perception but I think the students did try to milk more from the image that it was worth, in fact in their defense they did suggest that they might be looking at the image too literally. Whether it is a box of crayons or a bunch of anything that had diversity and added value to its function is the main point, I believe. For most of us, a picture that is multicolored is more satisfying and exciting, aesthetically, that one drawn with one color.

McCoy and Tynan chose to look at the surface meaning of choosing crayons on their color basis alone. I chose the box of colored crayons because of the added value I get in the product of using more than one color ­ or if we transfer the meaning to people, which was the point, the added value of multiple points of view. I thought it was a rather clever and thoughtful ad.

Bob Wrenn

Professor of Psychology