Greeting card giant Hallmark Cards Inc. today revealed its own take on virtual reality with a new Father’s Day lineup of cards that transform into virtual reality headsets.

Hallmark is taking what Google Inc. started with Google Cardboard – cheap VR headsets that could be folded out of cardboard cutouts and inexpensive lenses powered by a current-generation smartphone – to an obvious conclusion by making greeting cards that can be turned into VR headsets.

Using the foldable card and VR technology, Hallmark’s product will give dads a 360-degree viewing experience matching the theme of the card: surfing, sky-diving, motorcycle racing and car racing. The card recipient will use a smartphone to access a website and launch a YouTube app and then slide it into the headset to view.

Tom Brantman, creative director of Hallmark Greetings Innovation said he believes that this approach provides a one-of-a-kind experience. “At Hallmark, we are merging digital trends with physical cards to take card giving and receiving to the next level,” he said.

Although the cards are expensive for holiday well-wishes at $12.99 apiece, this is extremely inexpensive when it comes to a VR headset – only a slightly lower price tag than Google Cardboard itself shipped from Google, which runs $15 and does not come with a pithy greeting.

Of course, a current-gen smartphone is also required to power the headset’s VR portion, which themselves are not inexpensive.

The company estimates that more than 72 million Father’s Day cards are exchanged every year, making it the fourth-largest holiday for giving greeting cards. Hallmark also believes that this holiday is one of the best for connecting technology to card recipients because of themes already present in Father’s Day cards.

Hallmark’s holiday VR cards are already available online and prepared to ship before the June 18 date of Father’s Day. The cards will also be available in more than 20,000 locations nationwide in the U.S., including participating Hallmark Gold Crown stores and in other Hallmark retailers.

In addition to the Father’s Day VR cards, Hallmark plans to roll out virtual reality card designs for birthdays this summer.

Image: Hallmark