Hallmark Begins 21 Years of Forever Friends Celebrations

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 23, 2008 – with the launch of a new dedicated Forever Friends website, (also known as the very cute bears) and the announcement that it will roll out a major PR campaign around the occasion this autumn.

The website was created by leading digital agency MadeByPi™ to bring the loveable characters alive online to mark the 21st year of Hallmark UK’s most successful brand in terms of sales to date.

Leeds-based MadeByPi, formerly Pilot Interactive, won the agency brief to revitalise the Forever Friends’ online presence to drive card and gift sales and develop the brand further in light of the bear coming of age.

The new interactive site makes extensive use of rich media technology, integrating Forever Friends online content and services. It offers engaging content suitable for the two target audiences; age ranges 11-17 and 17-35. Visitors are encouraged to spend time on the site, incentivised by funny games, downloads, competitions and promotions. Through 3D animation, the characters are brought to life giving the user a more interactive, enjoyable experience.

New online technologies are integrated into the solution giving the consumer more choice. They include mobile downloads, e-cards and animations, with greater security and future integration with the brand’s eCommerce capability.

The PR campaign around the bear’s 21st birthday year will kick off in September and will be carried out by Hallmark’s retained agency Lucre. With more details currently under wraps, the campaign will explore various aspects of friendship and will target the national consumer print media, broadcast and online.

Rick Hamilton, marketing controller at Hallmark commented: “MadeByPi have given our Forever Friends brand a new lease of life through intelligent animation. The new website has given us the capability of offering a membership scheme that will further enhance and develop brand loyalty, ultimately increasing sales. This project signifies the importance of our integrated marketing strategy and gives the consumers the opportunity to interact with the brand online for the first time. The new website teamed with the dedicated PR campaign around Forever Friends’ 21st year is set to further increase consumer’s recognition of what is such a long-standing and successful brand.”
http://www.foreverfriends.co.uk
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