Range Story : Beastie Besties

The Big Question

What happens when men need emotional support, but all the cards on the shelf are about beer and football?

That's exactly the question we found ourselves asking in early 2024. While staring at yet another wall of "male cards" dominated by tractors, golf clubs, and pints of beer, we spotted a missed opportunity — where were the cards that actually supported men during life's tough moments?

With men accounting for 75% of UK suicides yet being far less likely to reach out for help, this wasn't just a gap in the market. It was a gap in how we support half the population.

So we rolled up our sleeves and decided to create something different: greeting cards that men would actually appreciate receiving when the going gets tough.

The Challenge (AKA: The Tricky Bit)

Creating cards that support men's emotional wellbeing without making them cringe? Not exactly a walk in the park. We faced some proper hurdles:

• The "Man Card" Paradox: How do we create emotionally supportive cards that men would actually keep rather than quickly stuffing in a drawer?
• The Cringe Factor: No man wants a soppy, sentimental card covered in hearts and flowers. But they still deserve genuine support.
• The Buyer-Receiver Gap: Often women buy cards for the men in their lives. The card needed to appeal to her while genuinely resonating with him.
• Making it Matter: These cards needed to do double-duty — supporting both the man receiving the card AND helping fund mental health initiatives through our profit-for-purpose model.

And if we're being totally honest, we had another challenge: proving to the greeting card industry that men deserve better than yet another card about their beer belly or mid-life crisis.

How We Tackled It (With a Bit of Animal Magic)

Getting Inside Men's Heads
First things first — we needed to understand what actually helps men when they're struggling. Jean (our co-founder and mental health expert) spoke with a local men’s group and shared a crucial insight: men often respond better to support that doesn't require immediate emotional vulnerability. They need a side door into those conversations, not a forced heart-to-heart.

We spoke with men across different age groups, asking what they'd actually want in a card during tough times. The answers were:
"I don't want sympathy. I want to know someone believes I can get through this."
"Just something that shows they get it, without making a big deal about it."
"Nothing flowery or dramatic. Something that feels like a mate having your back."

Bringing in the Beasts

That's when we had our lightbulb moment — animals! Animals carry universal qualities we admire: strength, resilience, loyalty. They offer the perfect metaphor for supporting someone without asking them to immediately bare their soul.
Each animal became a character with its own personality and supportive message:

• The Lion: For when someone needs to find their courage again
• The Bear: Strong, protective, there for the tough moments
• The Sloth: Taking life at your own pace is perfectly okay
• The Gorilla: Gentle strength through life's challenges
• The Fox: Clever and adaptable when things change
• The Badger: Determination and persistence when the going gets tough

We sketched, refined, and developed each animal character with a distinct personality but a unified style. The goal? Cards that felt like a supportive hand on the shoulder rather than a demand for emotional disclosure.

Finding the Right Words

The messaging needed to hit a sweet spot — genuinely supportive without veering into territory that would make most men want to vanish into the floor.
We tested various messages, on various men, discovering that the most effective phrases:

• Acknowledged challenges without dwelling on them
• Offered encouragement rather than pity
• Used straightforward language, not flowery sentiments
• Felt like they came from a trusted friend, not a greeting card company

One summed it up perfectly: "It's what I'd want my best mate to say to me if he knew I was having a tough time, but maybe couldn't find the words."

The Final Cards (That Do Double Duty)

After much testing, tweaking, and a fair few debates, we created a collection of 12 Beastie Besties cards.

Each features:

• A bold, characterful animal illustration with personality to spare
• A straightforward, supportive message that doesn't make anyone squirm
• Subtle humour that makes the card feel approachable, not precious
• Our signature note about how each purchase funds mental health support

The brilliant thing about these cards? They're not just for crises. They work brilliantly for birthdays, promotions, good luck, or just because someone needs a boost. They're versatile little messengers of support.

Plus...they were Shortlisted for "Best Male Range" at The Henries Awards within months of launch!!!

What We Learned (Besides the Fact that Everyone Loves a Koala)

Creating Beastie Besties taught us some valuable lessons:

1. Men deserve better cards: The stereotype that men don't care about cards is rubbish – they just don't care about the cards they've been offered until now.
2. Metaphors are magic: Using animals created a way to talk about strength and vulnerability that bypassed the typical male resistance to emotional content.
3. Purpose drives design: Our genuine commitment to supporting men's mental wellbeing influenced every design choice, making for a more authentic product.
4. Good cards can do good things: The commercial success directly enabled greater community impact – proving our model works!
5. Sometimes you have to create what you wish existed: If we'd waited for the market to develop supportive cards for men, we'd still be waiting.

What's Next for the Beasts?

The success of Beastie Besties has opened up some exciting possibilities:

• More beasts joining the pack: New characters are already in development based on stockist requests
• Seasonal variations: Christmas Beasts anyone?
• Licensing opportunities: These characters have legs (literally and figuratively) beyond just greeting cards. We’re already working with Stickers4 on a range of wall decals. You can read more about that here.
  
• Impact tracking: We're developing ways to show customers exactly how their Beastie Bestie purchase is supporting men's mental health in their community

The Brilliantly Brave Bit

At Brilliantly Brave, we believe in transforming well-wishes into wellbeing. Beastie Besties is a symbol of everything we stand for – breaking stereotypes, creating meaningful connections, and turning everyday purchases into funding for mental health support.

These aren't just cards with cute animals on them. They're conversation starters, support networks, and funding vehicles all rolled into one brilliantly brave package.
And let's be honest – if they help even one man feel supported during a tough time, while also funding initiatives that support many more, that's a win worth celebrating. With a Sloth card, naturally.

Want to stock Beastie Besties in your shop? Get in touch at info@brilliantlybrave.co.uk to find out how these cards can support your customers and their communities.