Forecast This Valentine's Day Calls for a Flurry of Last Minute Tips From American Greetings

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Feb 12, 2010, 07:00 ET

CLEVELAND, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- For many consumers, this Valentine's Day weekend will be snow covered and cold as they look to select the greeting card, pick out a gift and coordinate a romantic evening at the last minute. Even with less than optimal weather conditions, and the hours getting shorter, everyone can still enjoy the romantic holiday as they always have. In fact, there isn't any reason this can't be the best celebration ever. This year, American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) wants to help shoppers plan wisely and thoughtfully to make Sunday, February 14 the perfect Valentine's Day.

Time is getting a bit short so the best advice is to begin by focusing on what is most important. With that in mind, there is no better place to start than in the card aisle.

Find the perfect card

Few things enhance the thoughtfulness of a sweet gesture like including the element of surprise in the presentation. Whether sending flowers to her workplace, or picking her up for an impromptu dinner, the unexpected romantic touch is what Valentine's Day is all about.

This idea stirred the new product concepts team at American Greetings to come up with a way to incorporate some affectionate astonishment in the card aisle. The result of their work was the Pull-eez collection, a revealing set of greetings that enhance the tradition of card sending with the perfect surprising touch, giving any recipient an experience that epitomizes the fun of your relationship.

Each card in the innovative line has a tab on the front that the recipient is instructed to pull. When pulled, two hidden panels slide out from inside the card to expose a romantic revelation. One of the popular cards in the line this Valentine's Day offers an appropriately playful question on the front, reading, "Know how much I love you?" Once the tab is pulled, a beautiful bouquet of flowers suddenly blooms from the top while the bottom panel drops to reveal the sweet punch line: "A whole bunch!"

Still need to pick up that greeting card? Visit our store locator today to find the retailer carrying American Greetings products nearest you, http://corporate.americangreetings.com/storelocator.html.

Last minute tips

Even the latest of last minute shoppers are in luck this Valentine's Day as the holiday falls on a Sunday. This scheduling gives everyone one more day to finalize the last detail on plans, pick out the perfect gift, and include a heartfelt message in the greeting card. Here are some last minute tips to impress your special someone:

No time for reservations? The holiday is all about celebrating your relationship and spending time together, so why not stay in and make a meal together as opposed to a night out? The intimacy and atmosphere of being alone in a casual setting can make your date night more enjoyable than a fancy restaurant ever could.

Gift-less at the last minute! Gift giving is all about thoughtfulness, so take a second or two to put some thought into what might make for a great present. Concentrate on what she really needs or the one thing she always talks about getting for herself. If you are still stumped, think of something she loves to do and plan a future date around it. Anything from a play to a concert will do, and it will give her something to look forward to.

You have the card, but have no idea what to write: Just keep it simple. Focus on what you love about your relationship. Try to incorporate a small moment that you've shared that really reflects you as a couple. In short, be heartfelt, be honest, be yourself and she will love it.

For even more tips and hints, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com/tipstrends.html

About American Greetings Corporation

For more than 100 years, American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) has been a manufacturer and retailer of innovative social expression products that assist consumers in enhancing their relationships. The Company's major greeting card brands are American Greetings, Carlton Cards, Gibson, Recycled Paper Greetings and Papyrus, and other paper product offerings include DesignWare party goods, American Greetings and Plus Mark gift-wrap and boxed cards. American Greetings also has the largest collection of electronic greetings on the Web, including cards available at AmericanGreetings.com through AG Interactive, Inc. (the Company's online division). AG Interactive also offers digital photo sharing and personal publishing at PhotoWorks.com and Webshots.com and a one-stop source for online graphics and animations at Kiwee.com. In addition to its product lines, American Greetings also creates and licenses popular character brands through the American Greetings Properties group. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual revenue of approximately $1.7 billion, and its products can be found in retail outlets domestically and worldwide. For more information on the Company, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com.

SOURCE American Greetings Corporation