Launching at Top Drawer, Ohh Deer is publishing a range of 36 everyday designs from Hello!Lucky as part of a licensing agreement with the American letterpress publisher, founded by sisters Eunice and Sabrina Moyle.
A similar arrangement sees Ohh Deer launch a range of Sapling Press humorous designs into the UK market.
“Sapling Press and Hello!Lucky are two of my favourite US greeting card brands and I think they’re both going sit perfectly with our other ranges. Sapling will be heading up our humour and Hello!Lucky will be heading up our fun illustration-led ranges,” Mark Callaby, md of Ohh Deer told PG Buzz.
The arrangement came about as a result of the Hello!Lucky team approaching Ohh Deer initially to talk about a possible distribution deal, but out of this conversation came the opportunity to print the cards instead of via the normal distribution route. “This was perfect for us and has allowed to bring the price point down from nearly £5 RRP to a respectable £2.75,” explains Mark. “In order to get to the lower price point we have removed the letterpress element of the range, but we’ve added in additional finishes including changing some of the colourways, using neon inks, embossing and foils which has given the collection a fresh look.”
The new set-up has been trialed through a limited exclusive with Paperchase for the last six months which has seen nine Hello!Lucky designs being sold by the retail chain, but now a wider range will be on general release from January. Additional designs for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas are also being launched. Plus, the arrangement is to extend into a stationery collection next year that will initially launch via Ohh Deer’s subscription box arm, Papergang Stationery and then go on general release.
As a result of the arrangement with Ohh Deer, Hello!Lucky is to close its UK office early in the new year, re-focus on new designs, its US distribution and other exciting projects, such as a new book.
Ohh Deer will be giving away 250 free Hello!Lucky tote bags that will include some freebies on its stand at Top Drawer (Stand V63), which will also encompass a free Teapigs café.
“Although it might seem like a re-focus for Ohh Deer, we’re not forgetting our roots and are still developing on our own in-house ranges and working with other great artists,” Mark added, confirming that it is to launch a new stationery collection from Jacqueline Colley plus is adding to some of the publisher’s existing ranges, including Gemma Correll and Paul Gandhi.
Ohh Deer will also be showing in America three times next year at both NYNow shows and the National Stationery Show.
