Emotional Rescue co-owner moved by Henries Honorary Achievement award
A standing ovation met a visibly-moved and shocked David Greaves, co-owner of Emotional Rescue, as he was presented with the Honorary Achievement award crowning a great Henries Awards event last night, 5 October, when his company also won a product trophy.
The ever-modest David had allowed creative director Jennie Rutter to take the glory for Best Contemporary Words & Sentiments Range with Emosh in collaboration with Paper Salad, from a hefty four nominations at the 28th Henries ceremony – and he’s been to every single one.
When announced as the recipient of the industry’s ultimate personal accolade, David admitted that on stepping up at the inaugural event in 1996 to collect Emotional Rescue’s first product awards “I was thinking I’d be grateful if it lasted five more years, so I could pay off my mortgage”!
The presentation was the culmination of last night’s awards ceremony at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel which was hosted by comedian Pippa Evans who showed off her musical talents with a performance of a specially-written song about greeting cards.
There were some fabulous outfits at the Mardi Gras-themed event attended by 500 members of the greeting card community with the best costume prize as ever going to Brainbox Candy co-owner Ben Hickman’s pink spandex, gossamer wings and fairy lights extravaganza.
It’s David’s second stint at the Tewksbury-based publisher after spending 21 years there before selling up in 2013 to return to retail then buying back the company with co-owner Brett Smith and helping re-establish it as one of the forces to be reckoned with in the greeting card world.
The full list of winners for The Henries Awards 2023 is available here and, in a short acceptance speech, David thanked Jennie, Toni Creswell, and Elaine Gibson, who have all been with the company throughout and added: “I’ve always said it doesn’t matter if you’re acknowledged by your peers – but it’s great!”
Revealing David’s name Progressive Greetings editor Jakki Brown, co-director of Max Publishing which owns and organises the Henries, said: “The word legend is overused, but the recipient of this year’s Honorary Achievement Award is the real deal – a greeting card icon who has been at the forefront of the greeting card industry on both the publishing and retail sides for over 30 years.
“It’s a proper rags-to-riches story but, with a brain the size of a planet, an uncannily astute business nous, commercial integrity bar none, ambition with a conscience and an attention to detail in everything they do, they have helped change the shape of our industry.”
She explained that David’s first foray into the greeting card was working in his local newsagent at a young age, giving him shopfloor knowledge as well as a face-to-face introduction to the wonders of consumer buying habits.
Having got a taste for retail, he progressed to senior positions with several chains, including working in the Far East as a retail buyer for a blue-chip name before turning his back on the corporate world and returning to the UK to help run Emotional Rescue, then a small and struggling publisher.
Having joined forces with a great creative partner “together they transformed this business into one of the most successful in the UK” and he introducing rigorous testing before the publication of every card design to ensure “almost guaranteed success” with many ranges having stood the test of time – On The Ceiling and Virtual Safari are in the Henry Cole Classic Hall Of Fame, and the 1997-launched Norbert & Val was a finalist in the category this year.
Jakki added: “As well as having the shrewdest tactical brain of anyone I have ever met, David also has one of the biggest hearts. A tireless supporter of charities, needy causes or anyone he knows who is in need, he donates many thousands of pounds each and every year, the only condition attached is that his identity is not revealed. He does it because he knows what’s right – there’s no hiding and we can all applaud him from On The Ceiling.”
