A Barnes businessman is hoping to take the Christmas card industry by storm by launching a card that includes a personalised video message from the sender.

Ben Nolan is chief executive of Choosey, which launched the card which includes a matrix barcode (known as a QR code), which plays the video when scanned with a smartphone or tablet.

Mr Nolan said: "The physical card is still prized over virtual ‘e-cards’, but brought bang up to date with the benefits of digital technology.

“The industry has been slow to change since Victorian times, precisely because the draw of an actual card is too powerful to abandon. We have combined these two worlds.”

In the UK this year the British public are expected to spend more than £384 million on Christmas Cards.

Choosey greetings cards cover occasions like Birthdays, Valentine’s and Mother’s Day, and pave the way for long-distance proposals, surprise baby announcements, and even “seductions”.

www.choosey.com