American Greetings' AG Properties Division Adds Two Marketing Executives To Help Build Licensed Properties Business

CONTACT: Amy McGahan of Dix & Eaton, +1-216-241-3027

CLEVELAND, May 11 -- American Greetings Corporation ( NYSE: AM), the largest publicly traded manufacturer of social expression products and the creator and owner of such intellectual properties as Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, Holly Hobbie and Twisted Whiskers, has added two marketing executives to its AG Properties division.

Michael Dresner joins American Greetings as Vice President, Marketing, AG Properties. He will be responsible for the marketing of all AG Properties brands. Michele Schuessler has been named Brand Manager, AG Properties. She will be working on Care Bears, Maryoku Yummy and other new properties. Both executives will be headquartered in the company's New York City office, where responsibility for the brand management and marketing functions, along with outbound licensing, will now reside.

"We are excited to add the talents and leadership of Michael and Michele to our growing team," said Tamra Seldin, Senior Vice President, Consumer Products, AG Properties. "As we continue to develop and launch new properties, and relaunch or sustain existing properties, they will play integral roles in helping us to build our long-term character franchises and our outbound licensing business."

About Michael Dresner

Dresner has 15 years of experience in home entertainment, brand management and children's licensed properties. In his new role, he will lead the team responsible for incubating and driving the brand strategies for all properties to be built via outbound licensing. With a team that includes Brand Managers and Marketing Specialists, Dresner will report to Seldin.

Dresner most recently served as Vice President, Global New Brand Development, for Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products, where he helped lead the successful launch of the new Holly Hobbie & Friends brand. Previously, he served as Director of Brand Management and New Business Development for The Beanstalk Group, a brand licensing agency/consultancy. Dresner also worked at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies for six years, driving brands such as BAND-AID(R) Brand and
Johnson's(R) Kids.

About Michele Schuessler

Schuessler joins American Greetings after nearly five years cultivating childrens' licensing businesses. Most recently at Sesame Workshop, she served as New Business Development Manager, leading the organization's efforts in its worldwide home video and audio businesses. Schuessler drove growth for many brands in this capacity, including Sesame Street, Sesame Beginnings, Plaza Sesamo, Pinky Dinky Doo and Electric Company. She also served as Marketing Manager, Global Consumer Products, for Sesame Workshop, where she developed brand strategies for the licensing team.

Before joining Sesame Workshop, Schuessler was with Scholastic, Inc., where she drove consumer and retail marketing programs for such licensors as Sesame Workshop, American Greetings, DC Comics, NFL and NBA publishing endeavors.

About American Greetings Corporation

American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of social expression products. Along with greeting cards, its product lines include gift wrap, party goods, candles, stationery, calendars, educational products, ornaments and electronic greetings. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual net sales of approximately $1.9 billion. For more information on the Company, visit http:// corporate.americangreetings.com.

Certain statements in this release, including those under "Management Comments" and "Financing Activities" may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal securities laws. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts. They use such words as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," " intend," "plan,"
"believe," and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. These forward-looking statements are based on currently available information, but are subject to a variety of uncertainties, unknown risks and other factors concerning the Company's operations and business environment, which are difficult to predict and may be beyond the control of the Company. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements, and that could adversely affect the Company's future financial performance, include, but are not limited to, the following:

- the timing and impact of the changes that the Company plans to make to
its capital structure, including the ability to successfully (1)
exchange the Company's existing convertible subordinated notes for new
convertible subordinate notes, (2) repurchase the Company's 6.1% senior
notes, or (3) raise additional financing on terms favorable to the
Company by issuing senior notes
- the timing and impact of investments in new retail or product
strategies as well as new product introductions and achieving the
desired benefits from those investments;
- the ability to execute share repurchase programs or the ability to
achieve the desired accretive effect from such repurchases;
- retail bankruptcies, consolidations and acquisitions, including the
possibility of resulting adverse changes to retail contract terms;
- a weak retail environment;
- consumer acceptance of products as priced and marketed;
- the impact of technology on core product sales;
- competitive terms of sale offered to customers;
- successful implementation of supply chain improvements and achievement
of projected cost savings from those improvements;
- increases in the cost of material, energy and other production costs;
- the Company's ability to comply with its debt covenants;
- fluctuations in the value of currencies in major areas where the
Company operates, including the U.S. Dollar, Euro, U.K. Pound Sterling,
and Canadian Dollar;
- escalation in the cost of providing employee health care;
- successful integration of acquisitions; and
- the outcome of any legal claims known or unknown.

Risks pertaining specifically to AG Interactive include the viability of online advertising, subscriptions as revenue generators and the public's acceptance of online greetings and other social expression products and the ability of the mobile division to compete effectively in the wireless content aggregation market.

In addition, this release contains time-sensitive information that reflects management's best analysis as of the date of this release.
American Greetings does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking statements to reflect future events, information or circumstances that arise after the date of this release. Further information concerning issues that could materially affect financial performance related to forward-looking statements can be found in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE American Greetings Corporation