100th Birthday Activities Span the Year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Jan. 11, 2010) — Happy birthday. Thank you. I’m sorry for your loss. I’m on your side. I love you.

For 100 years, people all over the world have been saying all that and more with a little help from Hallmark. And beginning Sunday, January 10, 2010, Hallmark will honor its past and look to its future in centennial activities that span the year. Here’s a look at some of the 100th birthday plans:

•A centennial-themed website invites Hallmark fans to peek behind the scenes through a video tour of the creative process, reflect on the ways that social trends have been expressed in the greeting cards they’ve sent, and share their favorite “Hallmark moments” with others. Debuting in January, Hallmark.com/100years also hosts an employee blog and a timeline highlighting significant people and products in Hallmark’s history.

•A beautifully illustrated book, Hallmark: A Century of Caring, will be available at Hallmark Gold Crown® stores across the country, Kansas City’s Hallmark Visitors Center and other participating booksellers. The book chronicles the story of the founding Hall family, contributions of employees and others who have helped shape the brand, and significant events that have influenced the way Americans connect with one another.

•A special collection of greeting cards will feature designs pulled from the vaults, updated with a fresh look and sound, available this summer in participating Hallmark Gold Crown, Walmart, drug, grocery and discount stores. Card images and messages from as early as 1915 have been given a makeover by the Hallmark innovations team along with a short paragraph detailing the card’s background and fun facts.

•We’ve spent 100 years making birthday cards for others… now it’s your turn. A collection of birthday cards created by consumers in Hallmark’s Your Greeting Card Competition program will be available online, with top-selling cards available in stores this summer. Find more information at Hallmark.com/you.

•A commemorative centennial Hallmark Keepsake Ornament featuring favorite holiday themes will be available in Hallmark Gold Crown stores in July.
Celebrations in Kansas City, where Hallmark is headquartered, include an exhibit of artwork from the Hallmark Master Artists Collection and display of special resin crowns decorated by Hallmark artists, at the Hallmark Visitors Center. And harkening back to Hallmark’s first weeks in business, children at Kaleidoscope, a creative art experience for children sponsored by Hallmark, will have an opportunity to borrow a page from founder J.C. Hall’s entrepreneurial playbook and develop their own creative ideas from shoeboxes.

For updated information about Hallmark’s 100th birthday activities, visit www.hallmark.com/100years.