A couple’s move to revive the old-fashioned tradition of sending the greeting cards is paying off, writes Siti Syameen Md Khalili
IT’S still a Hari Raya Aidilfitri card but on the cover, the print says: “It’s Raya. But first let me take a selfie.”
The other reads: “Because sending a Raya e-card is too mainstream.”
These are few Raya cards from Purdy by Misschqa. Its creative designer, Jehan Mustafa, 30, believes in playing with popular Internet memes to update yesteryear’s tradition of sending Raya cards.
Purdy was established by Jehan and her husband, Farhan Jabar, as an online business which offers design and printing services. Their products include festive and business cards, wedding invites and bunting. Still a home-based business, the duo rely on social media such as Instagram and Facebook to reach out to clients.
This year marks the first that Purdy is offering Internet meme-based Aidilfitri greeting cards. The cards, which highlight netizens’ popular sayings and use bold colours and clean patterns, are made of quality material rarely found in the country.
Jehan says: “Virtual greeting cards are widely used nowadays. Sending greetings via smartphones and mobile messaging are less of a hassle. But some prefer physical Raya cards as a medium to exchange greetings.”
She believes generic designs and trite messages may partly be a reason why the physical Raya card is waning in popularity. “Time changes, and so do people. That’s why we offer Raya cards with a difference.
“We stayed away from the norm, which is mostly cartoons. Instead, we mix quirky designs like Aztec patterns, polka dots and bright colours with catchy words and phrases, lyrics and popular hashtags. Our target market is young people, and we attract them with playful designs and content.”
Apart from popular catchphrases, the Purdy team also pays attention to the medium. “We print the cards on kraft board or brown paper. We use creative design software. For this Raya, we also designed duit raya packets as well as stickers or labels for cookies.”
Social media platforms help in marketing. Purdy regularly adds hashtags like #sayajualservis and #kadraya to make it easy for people to discover its products. It is also through these platforms that the duo garner feedback.
Jehan adds: “From feedback, we realise that our biggest selling point lies in the fusion of content and simple designs. What’s more, we also discovered that young people are still excited about sending greeting cards the conventional way. The process of writing a short warm note, putting it in an envelope and sending it creates an impact since few people do it.”
Purdy plans to offer more creative physical Raya cards in the future. “We started off as a husband and wife team, a small online business with a big dream. Hopefully, we’ll soon be able to reverse the trend from virtual to physical, and open a shop.”
View the creations on Instagram (@purdybymisschqa) or go to Facebook (PurdybyMisschqa).