ELMER’S GLUE
The Ask— How should Elmer’s best connect with the modern crafter, despite the brand’s childish connotations?
Research Methods— 10 1-on-1 interviews, 55 survey responses, in-person crafting workshop observations, social listening.
Firstly— who even is this ‘modern crafter’?
A lot of things.
These crafters are as diverse as the projects they create. The variety of creative mediums and interests these crafters partake in is vital to keep in mind when targeting this audience.
What’s clear is that these crafters are adults — still maintaining the creativity of their childhood, but still feel disconnected from Elmer’s current branding.
We found that the motives of the modern crafter fit into one of three categories…
ESCAPE
Using crafts to destress or unwind from a busy day.
CONNECTION
Using crafts to bond with friends, family, or culture.
EXPRESSION
Using crafts as a judgement-free outlet for discovery.
ESCAPE
There are many reasons people gravitate towards crafting as a means of escapism. Some prefer the hobby for being a break from digital stimulation, while others prioritize its nostalgic qualities.
80% of survey respondents say stress relief or relaxation is their primary motivation for crafting.
“Crafting is being creative and using what you have — it’s comforting.” — Haley, 22
HOW IS ESCAPISM TRENDING?
A large and recent wave of these more ‘escapist’ crafts has taken the form of “Anti-Brainrot Activities” — simple, low-strain (but high impact!) tasks you can do with friends to disconnect from a society that moves at breakneck speed.
“Anti-Brainrot Activities” can take many different creative forms. Some crafters prefer simpler tasks, such as coloring or diamond painting, while others prefer more complex tasks, like ceramics, or more communal tasks, like moodboarding.
Nearly half of U.S. adults reported experiencing stress in the past year and look to leisure activities like arts & crafts to decompress.
CONNECTION
The act of socializing through crafting is important to many. This can be seen in using craft as a community building event in of itself, or using crafts as a way to express love to your community through gifting your art to others.
88% of Michael’s shoppers reported that crafting helps them spend more time with loved ones.
“[This crafting group] is truly my sanctuary. If I didn’t get to see my best buds every month, I don’t know what I’d do. This is my social life, I live to craft with my best friends.” — Gayle, 60
HOW IS CONNECTION TRENDING?
Community Punch Cards are a craft that's gained significant amounts of traction through platforms like TikTok and Pinterest. The craft is mostly done during low-stress ‘Craft Nights’, where a group of friends will make their own ‘punch card’ tailor-fit to a goal or ambition in their life— this could take the form of wanting to achieve a certain number of books read, or amount of money saved in the bank.
Completion of the task results in a ‘prize’ at the end, as well as support and celebration from the community of friends it was created with. Oftentimes, doing this craft around a group of people leads to more accountability towards actually completing the tasks assigned, much like a New Year’s Resolution.
7-in-10 Gen Z and Millennials prefer a craft night over drinks and dinner.
EXPRESSION
The act of socializing through crafting is important to many. This can be seen in using craft as a community building event in of itself, or using crafts as a way to express love to your community through gifting your art to others.
85% of survey respondents say self-expression without judgement motivates them to craft.
“When I craft, that’s just for me. I don’t need to please an audience or appease the algorithm or anything. It’s just a time where I can make something just for fun.”
— Jox, 25
HOW IS EXPRESSION TRENDING?
Alongside the rise of thrifting in younger generations, excitement around DIY-ing (mostly thrifted) clothes has gained the interest of more and more crafters. Although fashion on its own is a powerful means of expression, some crafters see making further alterations to clothing as the pinnacle of expressing identity.
Whether it be ‘modernizing’ older pieces, or adding playful new elements to more basic clothing, content of crafters DIY-ing clothing has gained lots of traction over the past few months.
In the US, 28% of adults reported purchasing an item from a thrift or resale store to repurpose it in the past 12 months.
Now that we’ve broken down motivations for crafting…
how do these modern crafters view Elmer’s?
Despite interviewees’ fondness for the brand remaining high due to nostalgic connections, many feel as if they’ve moved on from Elmer’s as a brand, often citing that they view Elmer’s as a brand purely for children.
Elmer’s discredits itself by reflecting these assumptions in their social presence. Despite having an entire line of high-quality crafting products (dubbed their Craft Bond line), these products have little to no presence on social media and very little on their website, where they instead highlight slime content and simple classroom crafts.
Elmer’s is perfectly capable of following childhood creatives into adulthood with its existing products—but its current self-perception keeps it trapped in the classroom.
THE SOLUTION?
Reframe Elmer’s as a brand that can stick with growing creatives, no matter the age.
This can be achieved by creating new social pages solely devoted to their Craft Bond line to engage adult consumers within their own dedicated space. Within these social spaces, Elmer’s can partner up with eager crafters who are popular online to show off these products while also bolstering a sense of creative community.
Most importantly, this reframing shouldn’t lose the childlike wonder Elmer’s embodies so well. Though the age range of the average customer will broaden, excitement and nostalgia are an evergreen touchstone for the brand. Through this reframe, Elmer’s can exist as an everlasting spirit of creative excellence— not something that someone can outgrow, but something that becomes more treasured with age.
After all, there’s no bond stronger than Elmer’s.
The partners I’m happy I stuck with:
William Paulino, ST
Mason Barbour, ST
Leah Glass, ST
Emily Woods, ST
Susanna Fravell, ST