34-35_36-37_muk.qxp_Grid 21/04/2021 10:51 Page 34
Focus On... male cards
You’ve Got There was a rallying call from indies in the recent PG Retail Barometer for a wider selection of male greeting cards, but hitting the right note for the men of today is more difficult than pulling the perfect pint. PG checked in with publishers to find out their respective testosterone drives on the male card front, the manly trends they have tracked as well as well as the acumen for their Above: The drive for the great outdoors as well as the breaking personal card design. down the barriers of talking of mental health issues are being reflected on greeting card designs. Left: An apposite design from Sally Scaffardi’s New Normal range.
Dan Kane, co-owner of Think of Me Designs: Trendy talk: “From the beginnings of Think of Me, we always saw the male sector of the greeting card industry as an area ripe for improvement from a design-led point of view. When we set up over 15 years ago there were very few male cards that didn't feature either sport, beer or humour. While these kinds of cards play a hugely important role in the sector, there is no denying that the modern man has an appreciation of style and good design. I don't think male cards should look overworked, and we strive hard to make our designs feel aspirational. They shouldn't look out of place in a cool London flat or hip New York apartment.” Your male delivery: “From a personal point of view, clean, unfussy design has always appealed to us. As the sculptor Constantin Brancusi said, 'Simplicity is complexity resolved', and we have kept that in mind with our Roam collection which features matte metallics, dusky colours, and an uncomplicated aesthetic.” On the button: “If someone were to send me a card to reflect my life right now it would probably feature a surfboard! I'm lucky enough to live next to one of the best surf breaks in Southern California, so when I'm not in the design studio I can usually be found riding the waves. There always needs to be a ‘Yin’ to the ‘Yang’ - grabbing a board and heading down to the ocean is the perfect way to kickstart the day before putting in the hours in the studio.” Right: Metallic foils and matt board combine in Think of Me’s Roam collection. Left: Thinking of Me’s Dan Kane living the dream!
Ben Dorney, creative director of Museums & Galleries Trendy talk: “After the last year I would say we ALL need more emotional support! The more I try and define ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine' the more complicated it gets!” Your male delivery: “Museums & Galleries has just launched a set of male-styled aged birthdays using amazing archive material from the Natural History Museum with rich, vintage colours, textured gold foil and lots of detail. This joins our ‘classics’ V&A range and TATE collection, which has a great mix of abstract and bold designs, alongside travel scenes, boats, architecture and more.” On the button: “The ‘Make Art Not War’ card by Bob and Roberta Smith from the TATE range would suit me. It’s a great sentiment from an artist I admire… and I also want to learn how to paint, so it fits the bill nicely (as I’m no good at war-mongering).” Right: One of the NHM designs from M&G.
34
PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE