Greeting cards have long been a popular way to express celebrations and admiration for special occasions and loved ones. The online greeting card industry in the UK has grown from £90m in 2016 to £199m in 2022, which is a CAGR of 14.5%[1]. The continuous rise in the online greeting card market means there is a wealth of different card styles and designs available to suit your loved ones.
Leading online greeting card & gift experts, Moonpig, has reviewed search data to reveal the top trending card designs of 2023, as well as looking at the most popular cards according to research by Google and Pinterest, and shares expert commentary on why these trends are so popular, plus what future card designs could look like.
The most in-demand card designs and styles of 2023
Moonpig has analysed Google search trend increases of different card designs and styles to find out which has seen the highest search demand increase over the last 12 months.
Google Search Terms | Google Search Trend Increase |
Barbie Birthday Card | 233% |
Taylor Swift Birthday Card | 222% |
Super Mario Birthday Card | 126% |
Typography Birthday Cards | 100% |
Warhammer Birthday Card | 85% |
Stitch Birthday Card | 82% |
Personalised Birthday Cards | 75% |
Mario Birthday Card | 51% |
Funny Thank You Cards | 50% |
Confetti Cards | 50% |
Barbie and Taylor Swift dominated card searches over the last 12 months
2023 was officially the year of Barbie and Taylor Swift following the launch of the hit movie starring Margot Robbie & the return of Swift’s international world tour. If the masses of ticket sales grossed between the pair wasn’t enough to convince you, Google search data has also shown how popular these two famous blondes were with searches increasing by 233% and 222% respectively in the last 12 months. Similarly, Super Mario, Stitch and Mario all make the top 10 most in-demand birthday cards.
Sarah-Jane Porter, Moonpig’s global design & licensing director, commented: “We often see increased demand for greeting cards correlating to the latest blockbuster movie or biggest artist of the moment, as we know our customers like to send these types of cards as a way of connecting with their loved ones. Selecting trending or topical cards which clearly reflect the recipients’ interest is a direct way of showing just how close they are. Our commitment to providing a range of trending & topical cards in response to the latest cultural zeitgeist aims to ensure we have a card to suit all tastes and preferences so that every recipient can receive a card that is meaningful to them.”
Dr Paula Freemand from HumanKind Psychological Services, comments as to why we purchase pop culture cards: “Including celebrities or pop cultural references in cards often reflects shared interests or inside jokes between the sender and the recipient. It’s a way of incorporating a shared language or experience into the gift, which can not only enhance a sense of connection and shared identity, but also add an element of humour or relatability, making the card more engaging and memorable for the recipient.”
Future design trends of greeting cards
As the nation’s taste towards card designs is ever evolving, so too are the designs that Moonpig creates, experts predict trends that customers will most likely see in designs in the future:
Personalisation to continue to grow
Personalisation ranks highly throughout Google and Pinterest searches, meaning there’s no doubt that this element within the greetings card industry will only continue to grow. As technological advancements progress we envisage personalisation features will become more creative as customer demand continues to soar. Moonpig’s findings on search data support this prediction and suggest a trend towards more meaningful and customisable personalisation options on greeting cards.
Blurring lines between greeting cards and art pieces
Many people have cards which they have treasured for a long time, with some holding on to them as mementoes. Moonpig predicts there will be a growth in the trend of greeting cards doubling up as wall art, and will see a continuation of designers experimenting with different styles as seen with the recent rise in Google searches for typography cards.
Pop culture will continue to dominate
Pop culture will continue to have an impact across card design and we can only see this growing. As social media content creators grow in popularity, we anticipate that pop culture will continue to have an impact on card designs, with videos and images from content creators to become implemented within the cards.
