GREETING CARD ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES LOUIE AWARD FINALISTS

30th Annual “Oscars of the Greeting Card Industry” Celebrates Artistry and Creativity

WASHINGTON, DC – February 20, 2019 – The Greeting Card Association (GCA) today announced the finalists for the LOUIE Awards, the industry’s ultimate awards competition that recognizes the outstanding art, editorial and design of greeting cards and invitations. View the list of finalists at the official 2019 LOUIE Awards homepage.

“We are looking forward to celebrating this year’s LOUIE Awards finalists and winners and are excited about the many creative greeting cards that were submitted.” –  says LOUIE Awards Chair, Fern Gimbelman from Designer Greetings.

LOUIE Awards Celebration

Winners will be announced at the LOUIE Awards Celebration on Sunday, May 19 at 26 Bridge in Brooklyn, NY. Finalists and winners will be on view at the LOUIEs display at Noted – The Greeting Card Expo, from May 18-20, 2019.

LOUIE History and Judging Criteria

The GCA launched the International Greeting Card Awards – known as the “LOUIEs” in honor of Louis Prang, the “Father of the American Christmas Card” – in 1988. The LOUIE Awards celebrate the art, editorial and design of greeting cards, invitations and announcements and reinforce the relevance of sending and receiving cards and invitations.

All LOUIE Award entries were marketed and sold in the U.S. in 2018. Any identifying information about the submitting company was withdrawn from each entry. A panel of 19 judges, comprised of executives and experts from throughout the industry, reviewed 620 entries submitted by more than 142 companies in 55 categories. And a Blue-Ribbon Panel of five judges selected two “Cards of the Year” and a “Judge’s Award for Excellence” from among all categories. 

In their evaluation of all entries, judges used five criteria:

  1. Originality: Does the card take a unique approach to design, concept or execution?
  2. Impact: Does the card have emotional impact?
  3. Design Excellence: Is the overall look of this card visually appealing? Did the designer make good choices in typography and artwork arrangement?
  4. Sendability: Is the card likely to be bought and sent for the occasion or purpose specified by the category? Is its format and design functional?
  5. Value: Is this card priced appropriately based on the overall quality of the product?

 

The Greeting Card Association is the U.S. trade association serving the greeting card and social expression industry. Its signature industry events include the LOUIE Awards, an Annual Convention, *Noted:The Greeting Card Expo™, and other educational and networking events. Founded in 1941, the GCA represents nearly 200 American and international publishers from businesses ranging from start-ups to established companies of all sizes, scopes and industry tenure — as well as suppliers that provide production services and wholesale product distribution. Read more about the GCA.

About Noted: The Greeting Card Expo

Happening May 18-20, 2019, Noted has one goal: To gather all parts of the greeting card community, provide new connections, discover products and resources, and celebrate the diversity of greeting cards and the people behind them. Success of the event is based on each and every attendee feeling that they’ve received a return on the time and resources they’ve committed to taking part in Noted. Shaped by all parts of this creative community and led by Greeting Card Association member companies of all sizes, the newest show in the greeting card industry will bring over 150 publishers and thousands of retailers to Brooklyn to share their latest products and show their love for the greeting card community. More details are available here.