The birth of a greeting card brand range is always a triumph. Who knows how many birthdays it will commemorate, how many difficult situations it will help navigate — to say nothing of all the anniversaries, retirements, new babies and everyday wins it will celebrate?
But Willow & Ivy Press is far more than just another new card range. It is a division of Leanin’ Tree, an industry leader with over 75 years of greeting card experience. Every element on every card in this expansive range was brought to life solely by a team of women writers, designers and mentors — and it shows loud and clear in not just the messaging, but every conceivable aspect. So of course you know I had plenty of questions for Ashley Akin, its Head of Business Development — and fortunately she was gracious enough to answer them!
SS: From initial sketches to trade show debut, how long did it take to develop this range?
AA: Willow & Ivy Press debuted at *Noted in April of this year and officially launched June 3. The creation of the brand was a few years in the making. From the initial concepts to design and production, it was a huge journey, and we are so excited for our cards to be out in the world, arriving in style wherever they go.
SS: This range is created solely by a team of women writers, designers and mentors. What messaging holes does it fill?
AA: When creating the Willow & Ivy Press card editorial, we wanted to ensure each greeting had a modern, playful vibe with a little touch of funny that resonated across a diverse array of sending experiences. It was important to us that each greeting could span across generations — whether younger or older — while still feeling deeply resonant, thoughtful, and real. We also left a selection of our cards blank, so that some of our senders had the choice to share their thoughts their way, an experience that is important to many of our shoppers.
SS: How does it depart from the more traditional Leanin’ Tree offerings?
AA: Launching Willow & Ivy Press has been a great, new addition to the Leanin’ Tree family. The product is very different than Leanin’ Tree’s core offering and aimed at a new, distinct audience. Willow & Ivy Press cards are smaller sized, with round edges, premium paper, and beautiful embellishments (die-cut, emboss, glitter — we have it all). While the cards strike out in a new contemporary direction, they were created with the same care and experience Leanin’ Tree has brought to its products for over three quarters of a century. I am proud of the way our teams have come together to make Willow & Ivy Press a reality, and excited for Willow & Ivy Press to continue to evolve and grow.
SS: Talk to me about the design details of this range that pull it all together: the heavy stock, carefully considered foil and glitter embellishments, sweet pearlized envelopes, clever messaging. These serve to both unify the offerings and make them each distinctive. Can you speak to that importance to today’s card buyers — as well as retailers?
AA: All the details — from the heavy, uncoated paper stock to the finishing techniques such as die-cut, foil, emboss, and glitter — were very important to us and to our brand. We wanted Willow & Ivy Press cards to enhance the beautiful imagery our artists created while still offering something new and fun in each card. The champagne gold envelopes tie the collection together, so while each card feels distinct, Willow & Ivy Press still has a unified look and feel to both our card buyers and retailers.
SS: According to research I’ve seen, millennials and younger generations sometimes want to just send a card, they don’t necessarily want to be prompted to do so by the calendar. I am curious if this is connected to the decision on the Willow & Ivy site to break down “Occasions” into the headings “better than a text” and “big moments.” What prompted this approach, and how is the response so far?
AA: Sometimes life’s occasions do not fit neatly into a calendar or holiday. We wanted our site to provide our buyers with the flexibility to seek out occasions important to them – whether that be for a “big moment” or for a time when sending a card might be “better than a text.” We have had a great response so far and want to continue to emphasize the personal touch of a physical card — as that is deeply resonate with our brand and our shoppers.
SS: Are there any early bestsellers that you can share? Why do you think they are performing well?
AA: With only a month since launch, we are still waiting to see which cards will emerge as our bestsellers. However, we can share some of our favorites. Woop! Woop! Bear, Orange Cake, Positivitea, and Wine a Little are four cards that really represent the Willow & Ivy Press brand, and we think will be a hit among our community of paper lovers.
SS: Can you give us a peek of any upcoming releases or plans for the range?
AA: Absolutely. We are just getting started. We launched our initial offering of greeting cards on June 3 as I mentioned, and n the Fall, we will be introducing our Spring seasonals which are some of my favorite occasions. Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Graduation — we will have it all. Our plan is to continue to bring new products to Willow & Ivy Press and expand the brand beyond greeting cards. We have exciting plans in the work. Stay tuned for more!
SS: Anything else you would like to share with Paper Nerd readers?
AA: We love to connect with our community of paper lovers over on Instagram @willowandivypress and provide sneak peeks here and there of what is coming up next. We hope you love sending our cards as much as we love making them.
Thank you so much Ashley for sharing these insights into this vibrant release. If you are heading to Las Vegas Market July 28 to August 1, lucky you! You can shop the entire brand in person in the CMA Showroom.
Paper Nerds in the wild, shop Willow & Ivy Press 24/7 here. Spend $50 and shipping is free! And, if you’re not seeing it on the shelves of your favorite stationery shop, speak up!
