Hallmark Canada has released a special line of e-cards and is hosting a contest with Disney for the holiday season.

The e-cards, in which one can add the faces of oneself or one’s family members, are available at the Hallmark Canada site and can be shared from the site through MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and email.

To enter the contest, a UPC code from a Hallmark product is needed, Dan Bengert, director of advertising and consumer insight, Hallmark Canada, tells MiC.

‘We wanted to give consumers a reason to go to Hallmark Gold Crown stores, or buy a Hallmark product wherever they buy it,’ he says. ‘From Disney’s perspective, the hope was to create the aspiration for consumers, once they’ve participated, to want to go to a Disney park.’

The contest, which has three Disney Dream Vacation prizes, is also a way for the card company to celebrate its centennial with its customers.

‘Partnering with Disney is the ultimate way that Hallmark consumers can share in our celebration, creating those ultimate Hallmark moments as well as creating some magical memories for those families by celebrating at a Disney park.’

The target market is mothers and grandmothers who have children and grandchildren under the age of 18.

To promote the e-cards and contest, Hallmark included links in its weekly consumer emails, and the contest is being linked to from the Hallmark Canada site, and the company’s Facebook page, which is expected to launch later this week. The company is also hoping for word-of-mouth marketing through the social media networks of users.

The contest runs until Dec. 24, and winners will be announced Jan. 17.