42-45_Male Cards.qxp_Grid 08/04/2024 18:26 Page 42
Focus on…Male Cards
The more things change, the more they stay the same as the saying goes, and it’s particularly true with non-humorous greeting cards for the male recipient. The search for new designs to captivate and reflect the male audience casts a wide net to update and modernise interests and themes, as PG discovers in this annual delve into the genre.
The Daily Male “Producing a successful male collection is one of the greeting card industry’s toughest tasks,” states Laura Darrington, founder of Laura Darrington Design, echoing the views of many fellow publishers. “While the usual themes of alcohol, sport and gardening are the staple designs to guarantee sales, it's clear Above: A Honcho design there has been a definite lean towards a more from Laura Darrington. Above right: Megan sympathetic offering,” Laura added. Claire’s designs are Its Honcho collection has a distinct palette fashion-led. Modern life from with geometric surface pattern, retro spacemen Right: Jonny Javelin. and leisure themes all featured as well as popular sports imagery, while its Spectrum Father’s Day range goes for more whimsical topics, centring around long walks in the wood, cycling and aeroplanes “far removed from the usual beer and football designs of many Father’s Day cards”. At Megan Claire, owner Megan Purdie believes: “While there is a place for sports-themed cards, we are seeing a big gap in the market
for more fashion-led lifestyle cards for men with a growing generation of boys and young men who are more influenced by fashion, style, health and fitness than stereotypical traditional sports, such as golf and cricket.” Megan explains that rather than taking a literal design approach to reflect this, she tends “to take inspiration from the colours, textures and simplicity seen in fashion brands, such as Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger.” She has also noticed there’s a luxurious element going on with male cards, such as foil finishes, with metallic golds, coppers and bronzes coming through in contemporary ranges, with embossing and textured card stock further elevating designs to the next level. The metallics luxe approach is also
Alfresco lifestyle A new collaboration with Bristol-based illustrator Lucy Davey has led to her first foray into greeting cards with Stormy Knight’s latest eight-design The Great Outdoors range, with the colours and scenes designed to appeal to those with an active lifestyle. Lucy got in touch with Stormy Knight director Sarah Jackson who commented: “I came up with the concept of a men’s range that featured the breathtaking scenery that often features in her work, and avoided some of the usual cliches that can sometimes be associated with men’s cards.” Left: Stormy Knight’s The Great Outdoors.
42 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE