Mihow

Corporate America Goes Postal.

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by

Mihow
in

The U.S. Postal Service is now allowing companies to design and print their own first-class stamps

“We want to make mail more interesting to consumers.” (Joanne Veto. USPS Spokeswoman.)

Joanne, I just don’t think this will do it. There are very few companies who, I believe, adhere to a decent looking brand and even fewer who have one I actually choose to hang on to whether mentally or physically. I know it varies per person, but do you really think that the HP or Verizon logo will make your mail more interesting?

Does anyone think that this is good idea? A bad one?

Comments

16 responses to “Corporate America Goes Postal.”

  1. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    Bad.

    I’m fine with photos/etc on stamps. and I think its great that people can print electronic things too

    but advertising on stamps?

    what next – the USPS will start selling advertising sponsorhips on stamps themselves? send a letter for .40, or send a letter on a coke sponsored stamp for .30 ?

    come on.

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  2. Amanda B. Avatar
    Amanda B.

    Bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad.

    I love the “oil rules” motto though.

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  3. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    Jonathan, on a similar note, I wonder who they’ll choose to refuse and who they’ll choose to use. Sort of like what happens on Web sites everywhere, radio shows, TV shows, Suberbowl ads, etc.

    Someone should put a stop to allowing credit card companies spam the hell out of me, too. I might gain some love again for the USPS if that should happen.

    I get at least one a day. What a waste.

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  4. aimee Avatar
    aimee

    wait… aren’t stamps .39 now? unless they’re just screwing us virginians…

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  5. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    to get rid of the credit card companies, you have to call one of the three credit bureaus

    they have a centralized ‘do not mail’ registry for card applications and car insurance

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  6. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    Ooops. That was my fault. I made the stamp. Thanks, Aimee!

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  7. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    Jonathan, I had no idea. I’ll do that… you know… when I get access to a phone.

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  8. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    It’ll be funny to see how taste is arbitrated on this:

    will the KKK start sending mailings with burning cross stamps?
    will someone start sending out twin towers on fire stamps?

    the list could go on…

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  9. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    First of all, i would like to point out that I used “Brush Script” for the very first time in my designer life.

    Second of all, I’m thinking of making stamps featuring “mihow” as flaming poo.

    Thoughts?

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  10. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    Done.

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  11. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    ha ha ha

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  12. raphaelle Avatar
    raphaelle

    I am sure stinky ‘mihow’ stamps are exactly what everyone needs on a letter.. does anyone mail bills anymore? or will that be a Holiday stamp?

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  13. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    my holiday stamps will feature advertisements for an abortion clinic

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  14. Megan Avatar
    Megan

    Weird. An outside company came to my office today to talk about this in detail (since my office handles a lot of direct mail pieces). I only went for the free lunch.

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  15. Charlie Avatar
    Charlie

    I don’t see much more of a difference between this and using letterhead or envelopes with a corporate logo. All a stamp signifies is that the sender has paid the cost of delivery. It’s not like letter carriers will start walking around with “Intel Inside” patches on their jackets or mail trucks will feature Bud Light advertisements. If HP is paying the postage charge, why can’t they say advertise it?

    The only concern one should have is if it appeared that corporate sponsorship affected postal service. If HP-stamped letters received preferential treatment, then there would be a conflict of interest between the public service that the USPS offers and the private interests of a company.

    I think it would be funny if FedEx advertised on US postage stamps.

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  16. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    Doesn’t that happen already? I mean, if you have envelopes printed using your corporate logo (which most of my credit card spammers have) isn’t that the same thing? SO, I guess my question is why do they need a stamp on it as well?

    This gave me mixed signals at first. People are complaining that there will be advertising on an envelope. But there already is by nature of having one’s logo on it. Which led me to believe that I just wasn’t getting it fully.

    Will these stamps be sold at the USPS as well? Will the public be able to use them to send things? Also, how will they be shown above say stamps representing breast cancer? Will the HP stamps be laid out under glass (as I have seen at numersou post offices) or will they be in a book with the rest of them?

    While the idea doesn’t initially seem particularly fishy, it definitely opens a door to possible scandal. Corporatations and government haven’t exactly been proving that they behave well together once they end up in bed together.

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