From the maker of geeky valentines come nerdy birthday cards
By Cheryl Minns, Arts Editor
Nerdy Words has put a new spin on birthday cards, with retro designs and geeky phrases to appeal to individuals with an interest in science. Whether your passion lies in physics, chemistry, biology, statistics, or computer science, there’s a nerdy birthday card for you.
The six card styles feature colourful, retro designs with gift, balloon, and birthday cake illustrations created by Nerdy Words founder Christine Snyder, who has a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science and a background in graphic and website design.
Along with the illustrations are captions that celebrate the geeky side of birthdays. One card has a yellow package tied with equation-filled string that reads “A gift wrapped in paper and string theory.” Another card has a trio of balloons that read He He He (helium on the periodic table) accompanied by the phrase “Don’t forget to have a few laughs today!”
“I tried to choose sayings from a variety of disciplines and also included some more generalized themes such as statistics and manuscript preparation in order to reach as wide an audience as possible,” Snyder wrote to the Other Press from Tottenham, Ontario.
After the success of Nerdy Words’ Valentine’s Day cards campaign on Kickstarter, which raised over $2,500, Snyder came back with an even bigger campaign for Nerdy Words’ birthday cards. This time the rewards include all the necessities for a birthday celebration, such as ribbon, balloons, and a gift. The red satin ribbon has “p < 0.0001” printed on it, which means statistically significant. The balloons have He (helium) printed on them, which coordinate with the matching balloon card. The gift is an eco-friendly notebook that features periodic elements Ge Ni U S (Geranium, Nickel, Uranium, and Sulphur) on the cover.
“The reward structure we used for the Valentine’s Day campaign really worked well, so we expanded upon those levels for our birthday campaign with our extra gifts in a variety of combinations,” Snyder wrote. “The gift wrapping ribbon was a big hit, so we decided to add science decorations and a little gift.”
The Kickstarter campaign has reached its $1,500 goal and continues to raise funds from more than 50 backers during its final week, which ends March 13. The campaign has been featured as a Kickstarter Staff Pick and has appeared in the BuzzFeed article “Top 5 Nerdiest Kickstarter Campaigns.”
The campaign rewards include pre-orders of the nerdy birthday cards at $6 for one card and envelope or $30 for a complete set of the six designs. Backers can also get a card and Genius notebook for $25 or, for $42, a six-pack of cards, eight He balloons, and nine feet of satin ribbon. For $60 or more, backers can get the whole birthday package with a six-pack of cards, He balloons, ribbon, and a Genius notebook. The campaign includes various donation levels with different combinations of the rewards, so backers can choose which rewards they want.
“We had so much positive feedback from the Valentine’s Day campaign and many people were keen to purchase more cards from us. We are excited to see many repeat backers and we hope they enjoy their birthday cards just as much,” Snyder wrote.
Nerdy Words has even more geeky cards expected to be available later this year for other holidays and occasions.
“We are hoping to expand our line of cards with an All Occasions campaign by late summer,” Snyder wrote. “This will include holidays such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, as well as retirement, baby shower, and graduation.”
The All Occasions cards will be offered individually in the campaign rewards so backers can choose which cards they wish to receive instead of having to buy an entire set.
To find out more about Nerdy Words, check out NerdyWords.com, Nerdy Words Greeting Cards and Gifts on Facebook, and nerdy_words on Twitter and Pinterest.
