FTD Celebrates 100 Years of Officially Honoring Mom

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., April 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 11, Mother's Day will celebrate its 100-year anniversary. FTD, founded in 1910, is the only major floral delivery service that has been honoring mom since the first official Mother's Day was observed in 1914. There from the start, FTD is proud to help share one of life's most important sentiments – celebrating love for moms.

To mark this special anniversary and pay tribute to moms everywhere, FTD is hosting the "100 Stories of Mom" campaign. Through May 8, people can share their favorite inspirational, sentimental, funny and selfless stories about Mom at FTD.com/mothersday by uploading a personalized video message or cherished picture with their written story. FTD will select 100 of their favorites to receive a $50 gift card for FTD.com.

"FTD is proud to be honoring moms worldwide since the very first official Mother's Day," said Robert Apatoff, president and CEO of FTD. "Moms go above and beyond for us every single day. More than anything, moms deserve to be recognized and appreciated, especially on Mother's Day. FTD is excited to give people young and old the chance to acknowledge the mom in their life in a special way."

FTD.com Launches Shop-by-Mom's-Favorite-Color

Consumers are increasingly shopping for floral arrangements by color. According to FTD data, color is now a top way to search for flowers on both search engines and at FTD.com. To meet this latest consumer shopping trend, FTD has enhanced its website and mobile experience by introducing a shop-by-color search option, available in the Mother's Day index and on the FTD.com homepage. Adding to the tailored online experience, FTD's floral design expert, Michael Skaff, shares a color guide and product recommendations to help shoppers find the right gift in Mom's favorite hue that perfectly reflect their sentiments.

Skaff predicts bright oranges and pinks, as well as vibrant purples, will be popular this Mother's Day and bring a pop-of-color to the holiday. As a member of the internationally-recognized Color Marketing Group, Skaff helps forecast color trends by considering the political, social and economic state of the country. The vibrant colors making a splash this Mother's Day reflect an improvement in the economy and growing social optimism.

"Color sparks emotion," Skaff said. "It's another layer of the sentiment provided in gifting someone flowers. We recognize this when forecasting trends and also acknowledge how valuable shopping by color can be when selecting flowers. Not everyone knows all the varieties of flowers that are available, but color is a universal language and an effortless way to show how you feel. We're thrilled to offer this comprehensive shop-by-color feature on our website."

For more gift ideas and information about FTD's Mother's Day products, please visit FTD.com.

About FTD Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ: FTD)

FTD Companies, Inc. is a premier floral and gifting company. FTD provides floral, gift and related products and services to consumers, retail florists, and other retail locations primarily in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland. The business uses the highly-recognized FTD® and Interflora® brands, both supported by the iconic Mercury Man logo that is displayed in tens of thousands of floral shops worldwide. Our portfolio of brands also includes Flying Flowers, Flowers Direct, and Drake Algar in the U.K.

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SOURCE FTD Companies, Inc.