American Greetings Partners with Ellen DeGeneres to Launch New Line of Greeting Cards

CLEVELAND, March 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Greetings Corporation announced today that it has signed a licensing agreement with Ellen DeGeneres to partner on a signature line of humorous greeting cards entitled the ellen collection(TM). The greeting card venture will allow the award-winning comedian's millions of fans to share her witty musings on everyday life in a fun, new way.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070320/CLTU029 )

The 32-card ellen collection will feature illustrations of the comedian along with her trademark wit and quirky observations about ordinary, daily life situations. Selections will be available for birthdays, friendship, thank you and encouragement, beginning this summer exclusively at major super centers, drug stores and grocery stores carrying American Greetings products. The ellen collection was developed in close collaboration with Ellen and her team to reflect the hip but relatable style that has earned her People's Choice Awards for "Favorite Daytime Talk Show Host" and "Favorite Funny Female Star" two years running.

"American Greetings is excited to partner with Ellen and bring her sense of humor to life on this special collection of cards," said Steven Willensky, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for American Greetings. "Her authentic humor embodies exactly what today's women find the funniest. The everyday, shared experiences she jokes about are far funnier than anything that could be made up, and are exactly what endears her to so many people. Fans will find that the new cards really capture Ellen's personality and sense of humor."

"I look at having a line of cards as another extension of being a host; helping you wish your loved ones well, piggy-backing on your birthday greetings," DeGeneres said. "I like to be up in the middle of everything and doing it this way is much easier than crashing parties."

Recently the host of 2007 Academy Awards, DeGeneres continues to receive widespread critical and public acclaim for her hit syndicated talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," which to date has won 15 Daytime Emmy Awards. She also won the Producers Guild Award for the second consecutive year for Outstanding Variety Television Show, and was voted "Favorite TV Host" in a Time Magazine poll, up against such impressive competition as Oprah Winfrey, Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa and Meredith Vieira.

Since she was first nationally recognized in 1982 as a comedian in New Orleans, her many contributions to the entertainment industry have earned her numerous accolades, including a Golden Apple Award as Female Discovery of the Year from the Hollywood Women's Press Club, a Lucy Award honoring women in Television and Film and an Amnesty International Award. DeGeneres was the first female comedian the legendary Johnny Carson ever invited to sit on his couch, an honor he bestowed upon only the most gifted entertainers. She also starred in an Emmy Award-nominated HBO comedy special, and is the author of two New York Times Bestsellers.

About American Greetings Corporation

American Greetings Corporation is one of the world's largest manufacturers of social expression products. Along with greeting cards, its product lines include gift wrap, party goods, stationery, calendars, ornaments and electronic greetings. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual net sales of approximately $1.8 billion. For more information on the Company, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com/.