Hallmark Humor

Facts

 Product News

• Hallmark regularly refreshes its humor lines with new designs and content.
• The 2011 focus for Shoebox and Saturdays is on innovative formats and relevant, timely subject matter, with smart, offbeat and sometimes edgy humor, but also a renewed emphasis on humor at the softer side of the spectrum.
• Hallmark’s classic humor focus for 2011 continues to be on cross-generational sending, with safer, sweeter, sillier cards.
• Innovation continues to an emphasis for Hallmark’s classic humor, with new paper mechanics and Cards With Sound and Motion.
• The Shoebox line consists of about 500 cards for birthdays, anniversaries, friendship, congratulations, and many other occasions and holidays.

Trends & Research

• Though women are the core consumers for Shoebox and Saturdays, the range of content includes cards that are appropriate for young adults and men. Saturdays cards have a special emphasis this year on Cards With Sound and Motion and licensed properties that appeal to men.
• Society is going through big changes. To reflect what makes people laugh today, it’s more important than ever for Hallmark’s humor writers and artists to be devoted students of popular culture. To assist them, Hallmark hosts visiting speakers, provides a well-stocked periodical library, and employs a team of researchers and trend-spotters.

Product Features 

• Funny Zone — Larger Walmart stores will offer a buffet of humor options that includes Saturdays, hoops&yoyo™, cards for women from the One Tough Chick and Edge of Motherhood lines, and classic humor with its focus on innovative Cards With Sound and Motion and the hottest licensed properties.
• Your Greeting Card Competition — Hallmarkcontests.com provides opportunities for consumers to submit their funny card ideas to Hallmark. Recent contests, including Life Is Funny, Remember When: Last Call, and Maxine’s Crabby Contest, have been big successes. Winning cards are available in stores and online.
• Maxine – Everyone's favorite grouch has been a staple in Shoebox since it was introduced in 1986, making 2011 Maxine’s 25th anniversary with Hallmark. Her irreverent quips about aging, the workplace, retirement, political correctness, and love (or the lack of it) can also be found in the Saturdays line.
• hoops&yoyo™ — These Hallmark characters – a pink kitty and green bunny – are an international hit. hoops&yoyo are silly, high-energy, and loved by kids and adults. The collection focuses on innovative formats, including Cards With Sound and Motion and “dueling-speakers” cards that let the irrepressible characters talk (or sing!) back-and-forth to each other.  
• One Tough Chick and Edge of Motherhood — Consumers can find these cards for women either in stand-alone displays in some Hallmark retailers or integrated with other humor cards, such as in Walmart’s “Funny Zone.” One Tough Chick is an encouragement line for women based on the fact that humor heals. Edge of Motherhood mines the rich vein of women’s humor that comes with kids.

In Stores

Shoebox cards are available in Hallmark Gold Crown® stores and wherever Hallmark products are sold. Saturdays cards are found in Expressions from Hallmark and in Walmart stores. Use the store locator on Hallmark.com to find the nearest Hallmark Gold Crown store.