• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, December 24, 2024

Yep, it's the most wonderful time of the year again -- for holiday greeting eCards, that is.

Not surprisingly, many of the ones the editorial staff of MediaPost received this year have some kind of AI-powered gimmick to them. Like the one above, which was powered by Infosys' "Greet Magic" (click above and hear me wish you good tidings).

That said, the AI-enablement can be clunky, requiring users to adjust permission settings, and so far doesn't innovate much beyond simpler templates like JibJab's or Elf Yourself. But at least they're trying.

To date, Infosys says its Greet Magic have been sent by thousands of unique users. The company tracks each unique via an embedded Adobe script and estimates each eCard is sent to an average of three recipients.

Another trend that is clear this holiday season is an abundance of irreverence, whether it is Grey NY's "Stumpy" talking yule log (click below).

Or Rivalista's "sh*t-talking" Santa (click below). This one is voice-interactive, so make sure you have your microphone on, ask Santa something and see what he says.

Not all the cards we received were entirely digital. Mark Allen & Co. sent a unique twist on holiday greeting cards created by client Noble People. The "Wild Cards," according to the agency, are a "fiercely useful deck" that comes in both print and digital versions.

"Each card contains a prompt with a question or challenge," the agency pitched, noting "The prompts mimic the agency’s problem-solving strategy, helping them meet their clients’ unique needs. You click on a card and a question appears." 

See a video demo below.