Well known in the US and Canada, the distinctive art style and uplifting messages from the Kate Smith Company is now set to extend its presence to the UK, with Hallmark Cards, Moonpig and Carousel Calendars on board as the first trio of licensees.
The brand, the brainchild of namesake Kate Smith, says its mission is ‘to make humans smile’ and greeting cards were destinated to be the top of the list in helping to make that happen. Kate is no stranger to the world of greeting cards as she previously enjoyed success with From Frank, a card company she started in 2012 with her husband and business partner Ryan, named after their French bulldog.
The brand is to gain traction in the UK market following the recent appointment of Lisle Licensing to represent its licensing programme in the UK.
“When we first set eyes upon Kate Smith Company and saw their success in the USA and Canada, we instinctively knew they had a fantastic future in the UK quite simply because of their humorous, cheeky and happy brand which will aspire to consumers here,” commented Francesca Lisle, managing director of Lisle Licensing.
Hallmark was quick to clinch the UK rights (the brand is licensed by American Greetings in the States), becoming the master greeting card licensee while Moonpig has been appointed the online greeting card partner.
Sharing her views Jen Stephenson, Hallmark’s UK head of licensing said: “We’re delighted to be working with Kate Smith Company and so excited about our partnership. Kate is a wonderful designer and we absolutely love her fun, funny, quirky, and playful style. As soon as we saw her card designs they made us smile and we knew straight away her brand would be a perfect fit for Hallmark.”
The Hallmark collection, of fully recyclable cards, entitled Send Smiles, is due to launch shortly.
“We are so super, duper, duper excited (please note the extra dupers) to be working with Hallmark. They know the power of a folded piece of paper and see the need to add some more hearts, high fives, and LOLs to the world. We can’t wait to make some humans smile with them in the UK,” enthused Kate Smith.
Meanwhile Carousel Calendars is launching Kate Smith Company 2022 dated calendars and diaries. As Martin Rees-Davies, product and licensing lead, at Carousel Calendars summed up: “With the year that we have all had I have no hesitation that the vibrant colours and designs will bring a much- needed smile to everyone’s face”.
Lisle Licensing is in discussions with several companies about extending the brand into gifting, stationery, and other categories.
Top: The vibe of Kate Smith Company is destined for UK shores.
