Pilot Pen® Puts "Power to Erase" in Moms' Hands This Back-to-School Season

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to shopping for back-to-school supplies, it's all about what kids need. But what about the needs of those doing the shopping, planning and homework-helping this back-to-school season – what about moms?

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110802/DA45189)

With the start of school comes keeping track of kids' new class schedules, sports, social events and grocery lists – a juggling effort that begs for an eraser to keep up with the changes.

Not surprisingly, this is why moms and many others bought more than 2.4 million FriXion Erasable Gel pens from Pilot (http://pilotpen.us) last year. FriXion gives moms the chance to keep track of the appointments and needs of their kids as school starts, and it makes their to-do lists and calendars far less permanent, as kids' schedules and needs are ever-changing.

Pilot's FriXion line, awarded the coveted Good Housekeeping Seal in May, is the only pen available with patented thermo-chromatic ink technology: The color disappears from the ink as friction causes the color molecules to separate from the other ink molecules and disappear from the page.

A recent study* conducted by Pilot uncovered strong demand for an erasable pen – one that really works. 56 percent of consumers said that if they had access to a high-quality, erasable pen, they'd most likely use it for grocery and shopping lists; 53 percent for personal calendars or schedules; 44 percent for letters; and 44 percent for cards. All these organizational tasks are particularly important both to multitasking moms, and women overall.

"As a school supply provider, Pilot recognizes the importance of back-to-school season for kids," said Rachael Gaines, Senior Marketing Manager of Pilot Pen. "But we also recognize the importance of the moms who are the ones doing the back-to-school shopping and errands. FriXion makes hardworking moms' lives a little easier – and kids go nuts over them too."

FriXion Erasable Gel pens, available in 0.7mm fine point (FriXion Ball) and 0.5mm extra fine point (FriXion Point), come in a variety of colors including black, blue, red, green, purple, pink, orange and brown. FriXion is also available as a highlighter, FriXion Light.

FriXion is available at Target, Staples, OfficeMax, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Rite Aid, and other fine retailers nationwide. For more information on FriXion, visit http://pilotpen.us. Follow Pilot Pen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pilotpen and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pilotpen.

* The 2010 quantitative study surveyed 500 people across the U.S. about their erasable pen perceptions; margin of error was +/- 5%.

About Pilot Pen Corporation of America

Pilot Pen offers superlative writing instruments renowned for quality, performance, cutting-edge technology and consumer satisfaction. Widely acknowledged as innovators, Pilot was first to introduce Americans to fine-point writing and currently maintains the top share position in the gel and rolling ball pen categories. Pilot's line also includes the acclaimed Dr. Grip family of products that feature an ergonomic, wide comfort grip that reduces writing fatigue, as well as the notable Precise V5 and G2 lines of products. Pilot Pen manufactures and distributes from its state-of-the-art, 305,000-square-foot facility in Jacksonville, Fla.; its parent company is the oldest and largest manufacturer of writing instruments in Japan.

SOURCE Pilot Pen Corporation of America