CLEVELAND — Peace on Earth.
Joy to the World.
And, Happy Holidays.
These are the usual holiday greetings.
But in a year of so much change, card makers are finding ways for us to celebrate 2020 as it was – the year “we rolled with it…” or a reminder to stay “merry no matter what.”
Kelly Ricker, chief creative officer of American Greetings, told 3News that the Cleveland-based company launched a campaign a few months ago to address the current climate.
"As things have changed in our country, or in the world, over the last six months, we've definitely put effort into making sure our cards are even more reflective of what's going on out there," Ricker said.
The new campaign is fittingly called, "Happiness Cannot be Quarantined."
"It's kind of a fine line. We poke some fun at it, but we also recognize that it's still a time when we're trying to get together, we want to be together, with friends and family. We want to tell people how much they mean to us. That hasn't changed," Ricker said.
So, when you go to your local store to look for cards this season, don't be surprised to see a masked Santa Claus, healthcare heroes and dogs with masks.
Masked or not, Ricker says cards with animals are always best-sellers.
"Any card with a dog on it. I'll tell you, [a card with a] dog or cat, is gonna be a highly appealing to lots of people," she said.
The pandemic has changed things inside American Greetings too. Ricker says their staff of 300 creatives are hard at work remotely this holiday season.
"Many people are surprised to know that a greeting card usually starts with the writing. So many times you think, well, it starts with a visual but most people buy and send a card because of what it says....an artist really interprets those words and brings them to life."
No matter the message, once the card is designed here in Cleveland, it heads off to manufacturing facilities in Arkansas and Tennessee before shipping out to forty thousand stores across the country. The hardest part can be picking one out.
"There is no one-size-fits-all [card] but [we suggest you] err on the side of telling people what they mean to you and why you're happy that they're in your life that is always a good solution," Ricker said.
And as the coronavirus keeps us home again, a trip to the mailbox can be a moment of joy for so many this holiday season.
"More so than a text or a phone call or a Facebook post like, there's still a lot of thought that goes into picking out the card putting the stamp on it, [and] mailing it. So if you can't get together, a lot of people will tell us the world's next best thing is a card."