This week, we're looking at a new app called JibJab Messages, an app that enhances your outgoing messages by quickly adding goofy, personalized GIFs.


Some might be familiar with the company behind this app, JibJab Media, from its hit "This Land Is Your Land" viral video satirizing the 2004 presidential elections. Since then, over the past decade, JibJab has made its bread and butter on eCards and other comedic digital paraphernalia.

But seeing as how eCards aren't exactly a daily purchase -- or a hot, growing field of Internet commerce -- JibJab Media decided to look at new options, with the help of FocusLab, LLC.

According to FocusLab's blog, after a company-wide powwow and some focus sessions, the idea came up to unleash JibJab's particular brand of comedy on the exploding field of mobile messaging.

Three months later, JibJab Messages was born.

Don't worry -- despite the name, this isn't yet another messaging app, much less yet another Snapchat clone. It's actually a GIF-creation studio that, in fact, can make messaging on those "older" social media platforms much more robust and fun than even Snapchat's editable media messaging.

Only for iOS at the moment, the app is focused only on helping you create meme-worthy GIFs with your selfie, or anything else you might take a picture of, superimposed.

Using the app is easy. Open it and sign in with Facebook, Twitter or Google+ (use the latter if you want practically no one to see your GIF). If JibJab knows what's good for itself, JibJab Messages will include Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat (if eventually allowed) logins in the future, as well.

After logging in, JibJab gets right to work making your first personalized test GIF. Take a selfie or a picture with your main camera, using the oval outlines provided to frame a face that the app will then paste on to its GIFs.

Then, all you have to do is pick a GIF. This is more difficult (and fun) than it sounds. JibJab Messages comes with about 250 GIFs with different themes and styles on day one, and that library is only likely to expand along with the app's user base.

Use filters to narrow down the options, or search if you feel lucky. JibJab Messages' GIF browser also allows you to favorite certain templates with the "heart" button up top, if you happen to find your go-to.

Then, just use one of the three aforementioned social media platforms to post your GIF, or you can copy the image, post a link to it, email the GIF, text it, use Messages, or just save your new creation to send later.

JibJab Messages is very open about the communications platforms you use, which is great.

The fact that JibJab Messages helps you make (semi) professional-looking personalized GIFs is also great. It's even better that those GIFs come from an experienced company that's pretty much as venerable and time-tested as Internet viral comedy studios get.

But the best thing about JibJab Messages is how fast, simple-to-use and minimally designed its mobile GIF-factory app is.

That's because the realm of GIF-making has always seemed too complicated and restricted to graphic design geeks and tech-savvy youths with too much time on their hands. And making up a personalized GIF on the fly (using only your iPhone, no less) is time-consuming enough for even experienced GIF-makers with the right tools that it's basically not worth trying during the course of a text message conversation.

Not so with JibJab Messages, which will have you delighting (or annoying) your friends and family with their ridiculousness in no time. It's a substantial move for JibJab, and seems guaranteed to take their business of Internet frivolity to the next level, especially if it comes to Android as well (please!).

The app is free and available on the iTunes App Store. After your test GIF, you get 10 more GIFs for free. Then, you can either pay $0.99 for a re-up of 10 more templates, or buy a yearlong subscription of unlimited GIFs for about $12.00, both through in-app purchases.

Beware: A year of limitless GIFs on a platform this fun will make you either very popular or result in you being completely ostracized from humanity -- depending on your social circle's level of tolerance for completely immature modes of expression.

Either destination you reach, you're bound to enjoy the journey.