Let's Celebrate Pride!

As Pride month is well underway, we’re continuing to celebrate inclusivity and diversity in all its forms. Yet there’s a few things we’ve been asking ourselves… How can we be even better this year? How can we continue to evolve to make sure everyone feels celebrated and seen? And are we doing enough to be allies all year round for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond?

Because if we’re not helping everyone live a caring, connected life full of meaningful moments, then we’re just not Hallmark.

When creating cards, we know that it’s not good enough to just follow the familiarity of traditions, like celebrating the marriage of a brother and sister-in-law or thanking mum on Mother’s Day, so we’re expanding further than this… to celebrate beyond the binary. Perhaps it’s wishing your partner a wonderful birthday, or both of your dads an amazing Father's day, whatever the relationship or occasion we want to be here to help celebrate it, because we believe all people deserve to be celebrated, cared for and should be able to share their feelings in the way that best reflects them. And we know that care like that can change the world!

So, what have we been doing?

Image on the right: design from jordanwray.com

We’ve been actively trying to change our culture by learning and understanding more by reaching out to experts about LGBTQ+ culture and history, by listening to their stories and advice, and by talking to our friends and family in the LGBTQ+ community. We’re evolving our marketing and improving our range of products so they align with our inclusivity goals. We’re aiming to show support for everyone’s important moments and milestones, and going on our own independent learning as well, to find out more about Pride history.

Image on the left: design from madebysophart.com Image on the right: design from sheisthis.com

Our growing range of cards has communities in mind that may otherwise be under-represented, including cards to support people coming out and cards featuring gender inclusive captions and designs. We’re also being conscious of those traditional ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ stereotypes and, by having an increased awareness, it has led us to be even more creative with our illustrations, writing and design! Alongside all of this, we’ve also been working with artists and writers from our creative community who have a range of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and lived experience.

Image on the left: design from jordanwray.com

Of course, the captions we’ve always planned will still be there, and we will be planning more inclusive captions too. Our vision is clear, we want to be more accessible and inclusive, so everyone is represented. We’re on a journey in an ever-changing world, with ever-changing love.

At Hallmark, we love cards (they are what we do after all) and we have loads of wonderful designs for all the most important people in your life. So, whether you're looking to treat your dads to a special Father’s day card, send some support to a friend, or perhaps even make a big deal out of your wonderful wife’s birthday, we can help you do it perfectly, and with pride!