Life is good® and Hallmark Announce Strategic Partnership

BOSTON & KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Life is good®, the Boston-based lifestyle brand committed to spreading the power of optimism and helping kids in need, today announced the formation of a strategic partnership with Hallmark Cards, Inc., the world’s leading greeting card brand. The collaboration between Hallmark and Life is good will produce exclusive co–branded products that will be available throughout the US, Canada and the Caribbean.

“I am excited about the partnership with the Life is good brand”

The collaboration will bring exclusive Life is good products to various Hallmark and Life is good distribution channels at retail and online. These initial distribution channels include Hallmark Gold Crown stores, Hallmark.com, Lifeisgood.com, Life is good company-owned stores and Life is good Genuine Neighborhood Shoppes®, with the potential to broaden distribution channels and expand product offerings in the future. Select Hallmark Gold Crown stores will also carry a collection of Life is good apparel and accessories.

This new partnership is an important part of Life is good’s strategic licensing vision for its Best-In-Class (BIC) business unit. Life is good's new Best-In-Class business unit is designed to extend the Life is good brand through partners who are the leaders in their existing product categories. The goal is to build healthy new business with smart, well-established leaders who can elevate the Life is good brand in new industries. Life is good intends to be very selective with signing additional best in class partnerships as part of its ongoing strategic plan.

“We are excited to announce our new relationship with Hallmark, which is the first in our Best-In-Class partnership strategy,” said Bert Jacobs, Chief Executive Optimist at Life is good. “We’ve spent 18 years developing valuable intellectual property that is applicable to many different industries. Life is good is dedicated to developing relationships with like-minded companies that will share in our commitment to helping kids in need and spreading the power of optimism. Through this partnership, we will reach millions of new optimists and greatly expand our community.”

“I am excited about the partnership with the Life is good brand,” said Cindy Mahoney, Vice President-Hallmark Licensing. “We have a shared commitment to life affirming consumer products and believe this will inspire new ways to help people make meaningful connections.”

The groups will continue to collaborate in the future on new products with the ultimate goal of spreading the power of optimism, all while helping kids in need through the Life is good Playmakers.

About The Life is good Company

The Life is good Company spreads the power of optimism and helps kids in need through its products and its nonprofit, The Life is good Playmakers. The Life is good Playmakers provide education, resources, and support to frontline childcare providers who dedicate their lives to helping kids in need. Life is good has raised over $9 million for kids in need to date, principally through the annual Life is good Festival, Life is good products and other fundraising efforts. Please visit Lifeisgood.com for more details.

Life is good® is a registered trademark of The Life is good Company.

About The Life is good Playmakers

The Life is good Playmakers is The Life is good Company’s accredited 501(c)(3) public charity, whose mission is to help kids overcome poverty, violence and illness by partnering with frontline professionals – such as teachers, social workers and Child Life Specialists – who dedicate their lives to caring for them. The Life is good Playmakers use the power of play to build healing, life-changing relationships with the children in their care and have partnered with over 3,500 frontline professionals who care for over 209,000 children each year. To date, over $9 million has been raised to help kids in need, principally through the annual Life is good Festival, Life is good products and other fundraising efforts. For more information please visit Lifeisgood.com/Playmakers.

About Hallmark

Hallmarks makes the world a more caring place by helping people express what’s in their hearts and spend time together – a privilege few other companies in the world enjoy. Hallmark greeting cards and other products are found in more than 38,000 retail outlets in the United States, including the network of flagship Hallmark Gold Crown® stores. The brand also reaches people online at Hallmark.com and on television through Hallmark Hall of Fame original movies and cable's top-rated Hallmark Channel. Worldwide, Hallmark offers products in more than 30 languages available in 100 countries. This privately held company is based in Kansas City, Mo., and is led by the third generation of the founding Hall family. Visit http://corporate.hallmark.com for more details.