Hallmark Introduces First iPhone App: hoops&yoyo (FREE)

Hallmark’s most successful e-card celebrities, the animated pink cat and green bunny known as hoops&yoyo, can now be accessed through a new work-themed iPhone App. called Fun@Work!, a free game developed in response to a growing demand for hoops&yoyo.

The hoops&yoyo Lingo Bingo game generates bingo boards using frequently heard words in categories ranging from the office to sports and also allows users to create their own categories specific to their world of work, school or friends. Featuring peer-to-peer functionality through Bluetooth or wi-fi, up to four players can play against each other then brag or whine about their score through Twitter, Facebook and their own personal e-mail accounts. The new App. also links players to the official hoops&yoyo online social media destinations and official blog, while highlighting the characters’ popular Days of the Week animations such as “Sarcastic Wednesday” and “I Don’t Care Friday.”

“Making these characters accessible for the mobile generation is the next step in the natural evolution for the animated duo that continues to break new barriers for Hallmark,” says Jodi Schade, Vice President – Hallmark Licensing. “When people need a quick laughter break at school, work, while traveling, or anywhere, we hope they’ll enjoy accessing the games.”

Several hoops&yoyo greetings are also available through Hallmark Mobile Greetings, which launched in June of 2009.

What began as a single Hallmark e-card in 2001, available on Hallmark.com, has expanded to an official website, www.hoopsandyoyo.com, with an average of one million page views per month, over 200 online animations, over 50 million free e-cards sent in the last five years and the addition of clothing lines, games and more.

Fun@Work! is now available for free on the iTunes App. Store by searching “Hallmark” at www.itunes.com/appstore/ or going directly to www.itunes.com/apps/hallmark/funwork/. It is compatible with iPhone and second generation iPod Touch devices.