Wallaces Farmer

Slideshow: A tour of the Machine Adventures exhibit developed by Kubota and Crayola, where equipment-themed displays are ready for visitors.

Willie Vogt

July 11, 2022

21 Slides

Earlier this year, Kubota announced it was teaming up with Crayola to offer a unique set of experiences and exhibits designed to spark creativity, but also connect to future customers in a new way. Called Machine Adventures, the project began when Kubota approached Crayola about working together on the exhibit idea, but there’s more — including special programs and materials being made available to dealers to carry the message farther.

Farm Progress caught up with the second stop on the Crayola Experience “tour” at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. Opening day includes an outdoor interactive exhibit that includes pedal tractors and loader toys, as well as innovative coloring displays. It’s the second of five stops on the tour that kicked off in Orlando, Fla., in mid-May. Other stops include Easton, Pa., home of Crayola; Plano, Texas (near Kubota headquarters); and Chandler, Ariz., near one of Kubota’s largest dealers. All stops take place in Crayola Experience centers in those cities.

“Looking back on the 50 years that we’ve been in the market, and looking forward to where we are taking the brand, we just thought it would be a great opportunity to partner with another iconic brand here in the United States,” says John Lee, director of marketing, Kubota.

Related: Equipment maker partners with Crayola

The Machine Adventures program is a traveling show that will visit each Crayola Experience location around the country through the end of 2022. The special package of displays, projects and interactive areas target one idea. “We want to reach the next generation of farmers, engineers, business owners, community leaders — and show them the role Kubota plays in their communities now, and what they can do with [the brand] in the future,” Lee explains.

And Lee admits another goal: that these future leaders will start picking orange to color their tractors and construction in the future. That’s a subtle change with a touch of humor, but it’s a potential goal in building brand recognition.

Teaming with Crayola

It might appear a little odd to some that a tractor company teamed up with a business focused on creativity. “We’re both family-oriented companies, and the Crayola Experience is always looking for amazing partners like Kubota, where we can create engaging and exciting new experiences that are going to inspire kids — and even adults — to use their creativity and imagination to build something,” says Connie Walker, communication and content manager, Crayola.

The outdoor experience is a one-day kickoff event; but inside the Crayola Experience, the exhibit runs for several weeks at each location. Inside the Crayola Experience, visitors will find 18 temporary attractions along with standing programs. Those added attractions are Kubota-inspired.

Walker explains that themes at the Crayola Experience change every month, with the Kubota program part of the rotation. “We actually have a job for the kids inside,” Walker says. “We have a fictional Crayonville, and we are preparing Crayonville and need the kids’ imagination and creativity to help put finishing touches on it.”

The Kubota exhibit starts with a “job” and a checklist. “Of course, if you have a checklist you need something to write with,” Walker says. “You get to name your own crayon, which are all Kubota-inspired names.”

From there, visitors can go through that checklist — from making their own custom employee name badge to building a campsite and more. And there are toy excavators in the indoor experience, where visitors can have fun scooping and dumping, as well as other stations.

“We’re trying to showcase all the different ways Kubota helps people participate in living the American dream, and building those communities from farm to table,” Lee says. “There are all these wonderful projects and activities that Crayola has led the charge on incorporating STEAM — so science, technology, engineering, art and math.”

Adds Walker: “I don’t think people realize if you’re an engineer, if you’re in construction, if you’re a builder, how much imagination and creativity is needed for that sort of thing. What we do is we inspire those kids to be creative — not only as children, but to be creative when they are adults.”

Working with Kubota, Walker says this allows Crayola to work with “real-life stuff.” And it goes beyond being an engineer or designer; as kids grow, they’re going to succeed, and they’ll own their own homes and need to mow their lawns. Or they’re going to build something like a patio. All those tasks involve machines Kubota builds.

Beyond the static experience

While the Machine Adventures exhibit adds value for the Crayola Experience, the program extends beyond the five physical locations. Lee points out Crayola has created new programs on its brand site incorporating Kubota. “We’re taking these projects and learning activities Crayola has created, and we’re packaging them together for our dealers,” he says.

Those material packages allow a dealer to reach out to schools, community centers and camps, and bring this Kubota experience to them. Lee explains this allows dealers to interact in the local community in new ways, and to promote the products and services they provide.

Walker explains the program includes coloring pages you can download, and there’s a Kubota-inspired coloring book, too. But it goes beyond that.

“We have some educational resources we’ll launch at the end of the summer to bring information into schools,” she says. This will be leveraged by Kubota’s 1,100 dealer locations around the country.

You can learn more about the program, and even take part in a Kubota coloring contest — visit kubotacountrykids.com.

About the Author(s)

Willie Vogt

Willie Vogt has been covering agricultural technology for more than 40 years, with most of that time as editorial director for Farm Progress. He is passionate about helping farmers better understand how technology can help them succeed, when appropriately applied.

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