Don’t Forget to ElfYourself

It’s true, eCards are soooo ’90s, but that’s only because most of them look terrible, aren’t specific or personalized enough, and/or cost money.

But OfficeMax’sElfYourself campaign? TIMELESS.

The holiday campaign, in which users attach a photographed head to an animated dancing elf, is up for its third season. Last year, OfficeMax brags, the site had 193 million site visits in six weeks. That’s huge.

This year, OfficeMax ditched the ElfYourself creators at Toy New York and EVB to work with online video shop JibJab, whose is core business is selling personalized eCards (it calls them “Starring You!”).

Office Max explains that JibJab helps offer more elves, more dances — and real-life souvenirs. The animations also look pretty good. But users are complaining about having to register for JibJab, the overt merchandising, and the lack of webcam support.

But c’mon, it’s not like OfficeMax is hawking office supplies in the background of its awesome new disco and hoedown themes. ElfYourself is by far the best free customized happy holidays stunt you’re going to find. This year’s tagalong efforts are lamer than lame by comparison. (Whoohoo…Tiled gingerbread men with your head on them, from Virgin Mobile.) Surely there’s at least one face you’d like to put a smile on…or attach a spastically dancing elf to.

Embedded above is our NewTeeVee holiday card, from Chris, Liz, Liz Shannon, and our dogs.