Whimsy Press
By Pamela Brill -- Gifts and Dec, 8/1/2008 12:00:00 AM
As the time-worthy proverb states: Necessity is the mother of invention. And for Whimsy Press, the adage couldn't ring more true. The Atlanta-based stationery and paper company was the brainchild of two ad agency executives from sister company Current — Wendy Sugarman Lowden and Lisa Maloof. Looking for an innovative gift idea for their clients, they created their own custom gift wrap collection. The duo helped spearhead the design of five double-sided wraps with coordinating stickers.
The response was overwhelming. “Calls poured in asking for extra collections, and many of our clients told us, 'You should sell this!'” Maloof tells Gifts & Decorative Accessories with enthusiasm. Because many of the pair's customers were in the retail business, those words resonated with the team and got them to thinking. “We had long discussed our love of paper and our desire to create a paper business that would appeal to our own sensibilities,” says Maloof.
By New Year's Day 2006, Current's senior management team sat down to discuss the possibility of getting a new company off the ground. With the National Stationery Show in New York less than five months away, the women had their work cut out for them. With a product line of over 40 SKUs in hand, Whimsy Press officially launched. At the end of the show, the two flew home with their first major order.
By Leaps and Bounds
Today, the paper company has grown its inventory to over 250 SKUs and has expanded into other product categories, including tote bags, and greeting cards with whimsical sayings like “My children are sucking the lifeforce out of me…but I love them anyway.” Maloof says these sayings reflect their office conversations and, according to the feedback they receive, have universal appeal.
Office environment aside, Whimsy's products are also inspired by market voids. “If we want a really cool card or notebook, but can't find one we love, we consider designing our own,” says Maloof, who also credits the muses who bring them the most joy: their kids and dogs.
She describes Whimsy's work environment as “a bee hive on energy drinks.” Because Whimsy shares office space with Current and many of the employees work for both companies, an infectious energy abounds. As chief inspiration officer, Maloof spends her day monitoring trends and presenting ideas for new items, while a team of designers ready the final concepts for production. She believes that having an eye for quality coupled with great design is what separates Whimsy from its competitors.
Even with such a strong work ethic and dedicated focus, Whimsy has had its challenges, namely balancing the desire to grow with smart business decisions. “We have so many product ideas and designs we want to share, yet we must be fiscally responsible and resist the urge to expand too quickly,” confesses Maloof.
But if the folks at Whimsy have their say, their name will continue to hold its own in the specialty gift market. Maloof is aiming for a stronger presence with major retailers, all the while continuing to contribute to the success of the smaller boutiques. “We envision ourselves as a lifestyle brand, not merely a paper company,” she says. “This is only the beginning.”
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