Hallmark is kicking off the summer season with new introductions to the greeting card aisle. This year, the company says it is focusing on celebrating birthdays with brand new cards that “bring dazzling lights, fun sounds and loads of excitement.” Hallmark also is launching two all-new card lines and introducing to its retail partners—for the first time ever—two new Hallmark Signature influencer collections featuring cards designed by online influencers.
New birthday innovations this year include:
- Beverage Carrier + Card: These cards are packaged flat, then pop up into a four-pack beverage carrier so consumers can gift someone their drink of choice.
- Vac-Seal Fluffballs: Aimed at children, these cards comes with a small plush toy in some of consumers’ favorite licensed characters such as Wonder Woman. It’s a gift and a card in one. The card ships flat, but when the plush is removed from the vac-seal, it fluffs up to become a cute toy to play with.
- Banner Greetings: These new cards feature an extreme banner that rolls out of the card when the recipient pulls on it. The banner also retracts back into the card for easy storage.
- Cake Candle Cards: Featuring a birthday treat on the cover, each card comes with real candles that can be removed and placed on the cake for the guest-of-honor to blow out during the celebration.
- Vinyl Record Cards: First introduced for Valentine’s Day, shoppers will find three new designs of these cards, plus new artists and six new songs to choose from. Each card comes with a 45 rpm vinyl record tucked into a sleeve in the card that features two songs from either Bruno Mars, Tina Turner or The Cars.
- Sparkle Pop: These cards feature a die-cut sparkle and shine design on the cover, and they pop open with even more sparkle and shine.
- Light Box Cards: Tapping into the light box trend, these cards light up with the press of a button to illuminate the birthday message.
The two new card lines being introduced this year are “Woof and Purr” and “Out of the Blue.” Hallmark is targeting animal lovers with Woof and Purr, which features cards celebrating a new pet and pet adoption and offering sympathy for an ill pet or loss of pet. Out of the Blue is intended to give consumers more ways to connect with the people who make a difference in their lives. It features cards to help people during a difficult time, to offer a paper hug, or to celebrate occasions such as a gender reveal or a dance recital.
New Hallmark Signature collaborations with established influencers will be highlighted at shelf with images of the influencers and their social handles to drive back to social media. Cards designed in collaboration with Lula Flora will feature bright mini-piñatas to celebrate birthdays. The second collaboration celebrates weddings and was designed with wedding lifestyle brand 100 Layer Cake.
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