Business
Sharpie is resurrecting a cult classic after devotees like Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid clamored for this long-beloved marker
There’s a fine line between customer loyalty and obsession—and Sharpie has found a way to profit off of both.
After the Extra Fine Point Permanent Marker was discontinued, an online cult following lamented the loss of the long-beloved felt-tip pen for years and even started Reddit threads for alternatives.
Sharpie noticed. In fact, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s camp asked the company about the marker, Gina Lázaro, VP of brand management at Sharpie’s parent company, Newell Brands, told Fortune in an exclusive interview.
“That’s just an example of the type of outreach that comes from consumers,” she said. “It’s the type of brand that is part of just a lot of people’s lives.”
President Donald Trump has been known to sign presidential documents and give autographs with Sharpie markers. He’s even asked the company to design a custom pen for him.
Soccer star David Beckham appeared in an ad for the brand in 2014, and former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens pulled a Sharpie from his sock to autograph a football on live TV after scoring a touchdown in 2002.
But there’s good news for Reid and fellow devotees: the Extra Fine Point Permanent Marker is coming back to shelves exclusively at Walmart.
Courtesy of Newell Brands
In 2017, Sharpie discontinued the extra fine point felt-tip pen to make way for an ultra fine point pen, which appears thinner in comparison. Now, Sharpie is expanding its portfolio to include both.
The re-launched extra fine point pens will be available in black, red, blue and green ink. A two-pack of black markers is priced at $1.97 and a five-pack of black or assorted colors is priced at $4.97.
This move marks the first product re-launch from the iconic writing brand since a recent executive reshuffling of its parent company. In June, Newell Brands announced a split in marketing leadership as part of a broader turnaround and restructuring. Sharpie also had to shift its supply lines to support making the new pens, but the company did not disclose the size of the necessary investments.
The product re-launch comes as Newell Brands revenue has fallen for eight consecutive quarters. This year’s second-quarter sales fell 4.8% from a year ago to $1.9 billion, narrowly missing economists’ expectations. Newell Brands expects sales to decline 2%-3% for all of 2025.
The business that includes Sharpie saw sales dip 0.5% to $809 million in the second quarter.
“What we’re trying to do is react to a consumer demand and a consumer request,” Lázaro said. That should generate more customer loyalty, she added, and “hopefully, eventually more sales from our consumers out there.”
Lázaro believes the product re-launch will also help strengthen the Sharpie brand.
“We want to continue to build that affinity and loyalty with our core group of people out there,” she said. “So that’s how I’m looking at it, as the person that is, you know, one of the brand stewards. And as we get more sales and all that, that’s just kind of a bonus.”
