Male Cards
What works for men
Maverick Arts
There will always be a market for commodity male cards – you
Maverick Arts Publishing, the sister company to Icarus arts, has
know, the sort of thing grannies buy for their grandsons from the
published a new range of eight greetings cards aimed at the male
local newsagents.
market.
But if you’re genuinely interested in providing the right cards
The collection features two ferret characters, Humphrey and
for men, here’s a few key areas to investigate.
Boris, as they enjoy their favourite pastime of fi shing.
“This range of cards is perfect for men,” says Paul Messis of
Humour: Men like a laugh and humour cards have always been
Icarus. “The cards feature celebratory messages for father, son and
a winner. But you have to understand the male psyche to get
grandfather, while the theme of the ferret duo fi shing is an activity
it right. Well observed, knowing humour is hard to fi nd but if in
that unites males of all ages.”
doubt ask the men in your life what they think.
The cards are 230mm by 125mm and are cello-wrapped.
Good bets:
Tel: +44 (0)1798 87 5814
Downright offensive: It might be crude, it might be sick but
Web: www.icarus-arts.com
offensive cards can sell really well, particularly with younger
males, who fi nd this kind of puerile, schoolboy ‘fun’ highly
amusing. Be warned though, some of the ‘humour’ is not for a
family card shop.
Nigel Quiney
Photographic: An amazing image can do the job better than
Nigel Quiney Publications has just launched a brand new range of
any sentiment. Many men appreciate the technicality required for
12 general birthday cards for men, featuring male leisure pursuits.
great photography and will marvel at an iconic image, whether
The range features traditional designs in a contemporary format
it’s a landscape, wildlife or an object of desire. But it mustn’t be
from designer, Richard McNeil including cycling, dog walking,
cheesy. Truly great photography is classy and timeless – and
football, pool, and fast cars, plus the more relaxing reading of the
worth paying extra for.
Sunday paper and a man strumming his guitar in the afternoon
Sports: Photography of professional sportsmen and women in
sun.
action is expensive to licence, which is why you don’t see a lot of
The range is printed on a high quality polar white board with
David Beckham or Wayne Rooney on greetings cards. If you are
deeply embossed greetings down the right hand border.
going to go for cards featuring sports then choose ranges that
The range is complemented by bronze pearl envelopes. All
communicate the energy of the activity.
designs are price coded at C50/HH, R.R.P £1.70.
Tel: 01799 520200
Icons: Many men are aspirational and appreciate an image of
Web: www.nigelquiney.com
an iconic object of desire. It could be a car of course, or even
a Fender Stratocaster guitar but it must have a rare ‘coolness’
about it that speaks to the male mind.
Fine art: For a certain breed of man, the fi ner things in life will
always be welcome: from renaissance paintings to pop art –
Icon
timeless illlustration to classic cartoons.
Icon has a knack of producing cards featuring
sharp, humorous, oddball and sexy photgraphy
Retro: The fond remembrance of things past can be a powerful
that appeals to a new generation of male buyers
draw for men - whether it’s licensed images of fi lm posters or
and recipients for whom cute, slushy sentiment
nostalgic designs featuring sports or motoring.
and jarring, cartoon comedy is anathema.
Escapism: Many men dream of getting away from it all and
New designs in the Exposure range have been
there’s nothing wrong with a little fantasy on a card. It might be
released for 2009. Cards are 16x16cm with
a sailboat, or a Tuscan hill farm. It could even be a shed on an
blank inside and supplied with white envelope
allotment. You’d be surprised what men dream about.
and cello-wrapped.
Web: www.icon-art.com
Tel: 01242679800
What’
s not working
Slushy verse:
Men don’
t like it, don’
t want it and don’
t
understand it.
Cute: Lose the bear
, or any fl
uffy animal for that matter
.
Townhouse Cards
Bad cars:
Illustrations of non-existent cars or badly-disguised
The 24-strong Precious Whispers occasions range from Townhouse
images of curr
ent vehicles is wr
ong.
Cards has proved a real hit with its strong photography and dry
Pointless male stuf
f: Slapping a pictur
e of a drill or a bottle of humour – ideal for the male category.
unnamed aftershave, or an indistinguishable brand of watch on a
On a more gentle, illustrative note, Man Thing Boy Thing is a range
card doesn’
t make it a male car
d. It makes it a bad car
d.
of 16 designs, which uses mixed media and features a blank inside.
The cards are hand fi nished from a folded base of debossed
Cartoon comedy:
You know the sort of thing – joke about age,
Fedrigoni board. They are individually packaged with a brown Kraft
baldness, obesity or heavy drinking. It’
s the kind of thing men get
envelope in a foil blocked polyprop bag.
sent when car
d shops don’
t have any cr
edible alter
natives. A lot
Tel: 01525 636141
of the time it doesn’
t work.
Web: www.townhousecards.co.uk
32 Greetings Today
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