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NEWS PG LIVE NIB’S
TOP STORY
The Teasing Is Over UKG Comes Clean About Its Funny Business Having teased retailers for the last few months with its marketing campaign ‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is going on with Hanson White?’, UK Greetings will reveal all on its stand at Progressive Greetings Live next month. The culmination of almost a year of research, product development, consumer insight, collaborative activity and considerable investment, sees the publisher reveal a completely revamped and enlarged humorous card offer. Next month sees UKG launch some 250 brand new humorous designs, right across the spectrum in 20 new ranges. As well as strengthening its existing ‘crown jewels’ such as revamping the look of Giggles, it has paid considerable attention to providing female to female ranges as well as meeting the needs of collections for Gen Y consumers (20-36 age group). “We, as a nation, really are living in a boom time for humour, it is coming at us
Below: One of UKG’s creative manager’s Edd Burnet says it’s a sign!
l Noel Tatt has made a commitment to UK production for its brand new handmade range called Henna, which will be launched at PG Live. "Unlike many other handmade ranges, this one will be produced in the UK with finished stock arriving just in time for the show," confirms Michael Griffiths, general manager of Noel Tatt. l To tie-in with a brand new range of 15 Royal Academy notecard wallets launching at PG Live, ArtPress will be offering a show discount available to customers placing an order at the show or online during the show dates. It’s offering 5% discount for orders above £150; 10% discount for orders above £250.
from all angles - YouTube, Twitter, comedy clubs, Instagram, TV or just general banter. It’s just great that with the major launch of 250 brand new humorous designs across 20 new collections - that we are able to properly reflect this changing world through our humorous card ranges,” says Rebecca Turton, UKG’s creative director for humour. l See the special UKG publication that accompanies this edition to read all about it.
Glad To Be Taking The Mickey UKG recently had a real ‘Walt Disney moment’ when the company received a Golden Mickey for Best New Licensee in its first year of working with the American entertainment powerhouse. UKG’s first Disney collection was launched at PG Live last May, while this year sees the company unveiling a brand new humorous Disney collection, with a 'cast' of 26 designs on its stand. Commenting on the new humour range, Jo Oldridge, Disney’s product development manager said: “Tapping into the adult market on humour with our franchises was always going to be more complicated than our standard greeting card development as retaining our characters’ integrity and original storytelling attributes is key to all our product development. UK Greetings rose to the challenge and I’m extremely happy and excited with the range they have delivered, both from a creative and an editorial point of view - it more than exceeded my expectations!” Eight designs are based on Frozen, four are Princesses, four are from Disney Classic films (two Snow White, one from Cinderella and one from Beauty and the Beast), six from The Muppets and six from Marvel (some from the films as well as several based on vintage comic artwork). "It's an absolute privilege to be able to bring the first Disney humour line to market," enthuses Ben Whittington, UKG's creative manager for humour and Disney. "Humour is not something that can be forced and the process is more challenging when you have to stay true to the essence of a Disney character." Above: UKG's Ben Whittington with the company's Golden Mickey for Best New Licensee. Left: One of eight UKG humorous Disney lines based on Frozen.
Withering Thighs Challenge Cardgains is still open for walkers to sign up to its Withering Thighs charity walk, which will take place on Thursday June 25. The Challenge covers a 25 mile walk in Bronte country in North Yorkshire. Members and suppliers can join in or donate or sponsor someone they know. This year's adopted charity is The Calvert Trust, which has three residential outdoor centres, delivering challenging outdoor adventure holidays for young people with disabilities. The chosen Cardgains centre is on the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake in the Lake District National Park. In line with Cardgains' driving theme, the organisation has pledged to raise enough money to buy a new mini bus for the centre.
Above: A new notecard wallet, by Bob & Roberta Smith RA, is part of ArtPress' Royal Academy range. Below: Animals are a feature of Catherine Kleeli Cards in its Stick and Stitch range.
l New greeting card publisher Catherine Kleeli Cards, exhibiting for the first time at PG Live in the Springboard section (stand 797), will be offering buyers a special 'PG Live only' promotion. Every retailer placing a card order at the show worth over £200 will receive a complementary unmounted giclée print (worth £25) of their chosen design. l Need to send a postcard when you’re at PG Live? Then head to Iggesund Paperboard AB’s stand where it will have a digital print press running on its stand (339) at PG Live. "In collaboration with Intec Printing Solutions, we will be able to produce personalised postcards on the spot, and will also showcase how well our paperboard performs in digitally printed greeting card applications," confirms project manager Robert Bryngelsson. l Trading under the brand name April Rose, award winning watercolour artist and illustrator Siobhan Harrison will be among those showing in the Springboard section at PG Live. Siobhan recently won the Best Newcomer in Above: Among the April Rose designs that will be the Stitching World category at the available at PG Live. Craft Awards. April Rose will be showcasing several ranges of greeting cards influenced by the illustration work produced for craft products. l In the run up to the General Election, cartoonist Oliver Preston made the most of the occasion by selling several hundred packs of his Political Playing Cards showing the party leaders to the Houses of Parliament. Right: Oliver Preston's Political Playing Cards.
PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
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