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FOCUS ON…WORDS & SENTIMENT
Inset: An appropriate design from Holy Mackerel’s Vinegar and Brown Paper range.
The language of cards truly is an art form, with the power of conveying the words and sentiment better than the sender could say themselves. PG delves into the changes happening as so-called ‘traditional’ cards are being modernised, while contemporary captions keep evolving, pushing out some of the longer-serving phrases.
WORDS WORTH A picture may be worth a thousand words but on greeting cards it’s often the actual words that people want to read. Matching the right level of sentiment for what the sender wants to convey to the recipient really matters and just has to have the right tone. “Language for the more traditional card has had to modernise, communicating with today’s consumers who are looking for their own traditional cards,” summed up Carte Blanche Greetings’ marketing manager Grace Elphinstone. She said the company has remained true to the Wishing Well brand’s traditional roots but added: “People are living longer, but are younger at heart than perhaps in older generations, therefore they enjoy and appreciate slightly more modern imagery and themes. “Words and sentiment remain incredibly important and form a vital part of the buying decision, so we must consider matching the tone
of the words carefully against the imagery on the card.” While revered for its humour offer, Emotional Rescue also has an increasing footing in the sentiment camp, having won The Henries award for Best Contemporary Words & Sentiments Range last year with Senti, and clinching it in this year’s Traditional W&S category with Scene It. Creative director Jen Rutter said: “Language and sentiment are so important to the sending situation. Looser, more contemporary language has found its way into some of our top sellers, clearly people want to find new, more contemporary ways to
say things like I’ll Love You Always, it can bring a more personal level to the send. “While some customers want a 12-line verse declaring their undying love, for others it just doesn’t suit the nature of their relationship or personalities. It’s great customers are being offered that choice.” At the heart of sending greeting cards lies the power of the editorial within them. “The right words can create a profound emotional connection between the sender and the recipient,” believes Hallmark’s head of writing Ruth Turner-Blood. “Expressing feelings can sometimes be challenging to articulate and, especially when this is the case, crafted sentiments provide the perfect way to do this in a way that helps bridge the emotional gap. “Even though times may be changing, our consumer research hears that many people still want to send some friends and family members a longer, more classicallywritten poetic verse, not only because Left: Cards are definitely paper hugs as these designs from UKG, Words ‘N’ Wishes and IC&G demonstrate. PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE 41