Greeting Card Writers Help Americans During National Crisis
American Greetings Inks Exclusive Agreement Benefiting American Red Cross

CLEVELAND, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- "What can we do?" That's the poignant question posed on one of the new greeting cards designed to help Americans express complex emotions during troubling times. Called America Forever, ten percent of all sales from the new American Greetings card line will be donated to American Red Cross disaster relief efforts.

The cards, available nationwide beginning in mid-October, express the whole gamut of emotions Americans are feeling right now, from patriotism and love of freedom, to prayers for comfort and guidance to expressions of courage and optimism.

Heroes and News Stories Provide Inspiration

According to Debbie Paul, American Greetings senior editor, inspiration was easy to come by. "Our writers were deeply moved by TV scenes showing our heroic firefighters and rescue workers, interviews with all the people who lost loved ones and internet images from around the world showing support for America," she said.

One particularly meaningful card pictures a silhouetted firefighter and police officer gazing at an American flag. The card's message? "It is in life's hardest moments our heroes shine the brightest."

Paul said the firefighter pictured on that card works out of a suburban Cleveland fire station. "The firefighter arrived for the photo shoot with soot all over his face. He had just been involved in putting out a house fire moments before. He was so appreciative to be involved in the project that he even donated his entire modeling fee to disaster relief efforts."

Another America Forever card describes "what it means to be an American." It recites qualities like "believing in the promise of a better tomorrow, honoring each other's differences, deeply loving family and friends and never taking for granted the privilege of calling ourselves American."

Capturing Complex Emotions a Challenge

"We wanted so much to cover every emotion, every experience, every need in the hearts of our fellow Americans; that made this project one of the most challenging any of us has ever worked on," Paul said. "This card program meant so much to all of us. In my 23 years in the greeting card business, this has been my most rewarding experience."

Greeting Cards Take on Added Meaning in Times of Crisis

Sales data from the company's Carlton Cards card and gift shops reveals more Americans are indeed turning to greeting cards to help them through these difficult times. "In the three weeks following the Sept. 11 attacks, average weekly card sales were up 4.6 percent versus weekly averages before the attacks," said Pat Papesh, president of Carlton Cards Retail. "This is a significant increase."

Even more telling are the types of cards being purchased. "Messages of care, concern and encouragement are driving this increase, while humor appears to be trending down," Papesh said. "People are also buying more cards with special finishings and elegant paper stocks ... perhaps for their keepsake value."

Paul said historically Americans have turned to greeting cards to help them express emotions and pull together during wartime and times of national crisis. World War II, for instance, brought about an increase in greeting card sending, as Americans strove to maintain unity in the homeland and communicate with loved ones overseas.

Surprisingly, even the Great Depression served as an impetus to greeting card sending. "During periods of economic decline and hard times, cards take on a deeper meaning because they offer a very personal and comparatively inexpensive way to express feelings and stay connected," Paul explained.

More recently, the demand for cards during the Persian Gulf conflict inspired American Greetings to create two new lines of cards. Greetings from the Gulf -- sold in military tent exchanges and aboard aircraft carriers -- was created for service men and women who wanted to stay in touch with their families back home. America Misses You communicated patriotism and support to loved ones serving in the Gulf.

In addition to the everyday patriotic cards, America Forever includes Veteran's Day cards specific to all four branches of the service and for veterans who served their country in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf.

Patriotic wrapping paper, stationery, balloons, stickers and accessories are also available. Six designs of boxed patriotic-themed Christmas cards and three special ornaments will be offered in stores beginning late November.

American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) is the world's largest publicly held creator, manufacturer and distributor of greeting cards and social expression products. Its staff of artists, designers and writers comprises one of the largest creative departments in the world and helps consumers "say it best" by supplying more than 15,000 greeting card designs to retail outlets in nearly every English-speaking country.

Located in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings has annual sales of more than $2.5 billion. For more information on the company, visit
http//www.americangreetings.com on the World Wide Web.