Monday, February 10, 2025
Mr. ZIP has a new series on YouTube
The beloved character and his friends will teach kids about USPS
Mr. ZIP has a new animated series on YouTube that aims to teach young audiences about the Postal Service.
“Mail with Mr. ZIP” debuted Feb. 8. New episodes will be released Saturdays on the new Mr. ZIP YouTube channel.
The series is produced by Moonbug Entertainment, the children’s media company behind YouTube’s popular Blippi and Cocomelon channels. Last fall, Mr. ZIP appeared in a holiday special with Blippi.
The USPS licensing team is working with Moonbug on the series.
“One of our strategic goals in licensing is to grow the Postal Service brand among children,” said Amity Kirby, the USPS licensing and creative manager. “This show is aligning with the Delivering for America plan because it’s setting the stage for that brand recognition, brand awareness and ultimately driving revenue.”
Mr. ZIP was originally introduced in 1963 to teach customers about the ZIP Code system. In recent years, a refreshed version of the character has been featured in new licensed merchandise, including a book series and toys.
“Mail with Mr. ZIP” will consist of 48 episodes and include original music with songs created for viewers to sing along to and will provide a generational bridge to those familiar with the original version of Mr. ZIP.
“We’re lucky we have Mr. ZIP to work with and that we didn’t have to create a new character from scratch. In the world of licensed entertainment and characters, he’s organic, longstanding and beloved by consumers, young to old,” Kirby said.
In addition to Mr. ZIP, the series will spotlight his trusty postal-themed friends — eagle B. Franklin and blue collection box Farley — as they go on mail-related adventures.
The series will incorporate kid-friendly messages about the importance of communication through the mail, whether it be through letters, cards or packages.
“We’re looking at the future of the organization and where we’re going to be in the next 250 years. This is a way for us to offer a different touchpoint for the Postal Service in a changing world,” Kirby said.
Heroes
She went back for a second look
This letter carrier found a customer who had fallen on the side of a road
Letter Carrier Lisa Hansen was delivering mail in Lakeside Park, KY, recently when she noticed out of the corner of her eye an older man lying on the side of the road.
She turned around and went back for a closer look as the customer tried to get to his feet.
The man, who lived across the street, was cleaning up trash around his mailbox when he lost his footing. He was cut and bleeding from the fall.
Hansen told the customer to stop moving so he wouldn’t fall down the side of the hill and into a creek. She then called 911 and stayed with him until help arrived.
Employees featured in “Heroes” receive letters of commendation through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program. The nomination form is available on Blue.
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered Feb. 2-8
Allen Toussaint, Toastmasters and more made news
Allen Toussaint, the 48th honoree in the Postal Service’s Black Heritage stamp series, took center stage in Link last week.
We told you about the stamp dedication ceremony in Toussaint’s hometown of New Orleans, a lively event that featured Irma Thomas and Elvis Costello, two of the many singers and musicians with whom he collaborated in his long career.
And we spotlighted a USPS video on the stamp. “His songs, his music, lyrics, have spread across the world. And now a stamp with his picture on it can follow suit,” his daughter, Alison Toussaint-LeBeaux, says in the video. “That’s just lovely to me.”
“Off the Clock” profiled Tarsem Dayal, a USPS information technology client support specialist who overcame his fear of public speaking through Toastmasters’ Speak Up 727 Club, and “Heroes” told the story of Lisa Hansen, a letter carrier who assisted a wounded man she saw lying on the side of the road.
We reported on first-quarter financial results, and offered a reminder about phishing schemes.
Link also told you how USPS and the Postal Inspection Service are sharing the many successes of Project Safe Delivery — the postal crime initiative expanded in 2023 — with news briefings across the nation.
USPS posts PMG’s board remarks
The Postal Service has released Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s remarks at the USPS Board of Governors’ Feb. 6 meeting.
The topics include the recent peak season, operational improvements and the organization’s new strategic approach to working with package consolidators.
The message is available on the USPS Newsroom website.
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Mr. ZIP has a new series on YouTube
The beloved character and his friends will teach kids about USPS
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Heroes
She went back for a second look
This letter carrier found a customer who had fallen on the side of a road
-
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered Feb. 2-8
Allen Toussaint, Toastmasters and more made news
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Brief
USPS posts PMG’s board remarks