Hallmark Announces Finalists in “YourFunny*ness” Greeting Card Design Contest

Consumers submitted their funniest greeting card ideas in the company’s latest greeting card competition

KANSAS CITY, MO. (April 14, 2008) — After a search for the funniest greeting card creator, Hallmark today announced 18 finalists in the company’s third card-creation competition, “YourFunny*ness.” The competition encouraged consumers to submit their funniest card designs to Hallmark for the chance to have their cards printed and sold online at Hallmark.com/you, and in more than 3,500 participating Hallmark Gold Crown® stores nationwide.

“Hallmark consumers have always approached us with creative ideas for greeting cards,” said Ingerlene Embry, editorial director at Hallmark. “We launched the competitions in response to these inquiries, and the submissions we’ve received during all three competitions have blown us away. It’s been so much fun to see how creative our consumers really are, and with the 'Your Funny*ness' competition, we’ve discovered how witty they are too.”

Hallmark creative staff and Mary Scruggs, a head writer for the legendary Second City improvisational comedy troupe in Chicago, judged the entries.

The 18 finalists hail from a variety of locales across the U.S. and Canada – from Sunland, Calif., to Cambridge, O.N., to Binghamton, N.Y., and all points in between. Only one will have the last laugh, however, and be named the Grand Prize Winner by a nationwide online vote. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize and a trip to Chicago for a private comedy workshop with the Second City comedy troupe, along with a tour and free tickets of Second City’s Chicago main stage. Voting is now open at Hallmark.com/you and continues until Sept. 14. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on Sept. 19.

Meet the finalists and vote for the funniest card

Finalists were selected based on the following criteria:

• Sendability (how easily the card can be sent to multiple people)
• Theme (how well it fits the funny “just because” theme)
• Humor/cohesiveness of caption (how well the design and writing go together)

Here are the finalists in Hallmark’s “Your Funny*ness” competition:

About Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Kansas City-based Hallmark has been helping people communicate, celebrate and connect for nearly 100 years. Hallmark greeting cards and other products can be found in more than 43,000 places in the U.S. alone, with the network of Hallmark Gold Crown® stores providing the very best selection. The Hallmark brand also reaches consumers online at Hallmark.com, on newsstands through Hallmark Magazine, and on television through Hallmark Hall of Fame original movies and the top-rated Hallmark Channel. In addition, Hallmark publishes products in more than 30 languages and distributes them in 100 countries across the globe. The company’s Crayola subsidiary provides fun and imaginative ways for children to colorfully express themselves. In 2007, privately held Hallmark reported consolidated net revenues of $4.4 billion. Charitable giving of $16 million a year focuses on the well-being of children and families, vibrant arts and cultural experiences, and basic services for people in need in the communities where Hallmark operates. For more information about the company, visit http://corporate.hallmark.com.