They live in the recesses of our junk drawers, we lick them with abandon and then send them far, far away. Stamps might be making a comeback for some of us. 

During this pandemic, the US Postal Service has been digging in deep to see the connective role of snail mail, we’re experiencing an interesting choice of a US Postmaster General who is still learning the value of a good postcard stamp and our communities have had some contentious conversations around the potential role of stamps as poll tax. 

But postage stamps have long played many roles as reflections of American culture, offerings of whimsical beauty and strategic geopolitical influencers.

Fighting for diversity and inclusion through stamp design 

What we see repeatedly influences what we believe to be “normal” and “acceptable” - so it’s compelling to see the communities reflected in USPS stamp design. The 2021 USPS stamp designs are an interesting reflection of who we are today and who we want to remember and celebrate from the past:

USPS stamp designers, through the oversight of the top-secret Citizens’ Stamp Advisory committee, help pen pals, collectors and everyday Americans just wanting to pay their electric bill channel their interests and points of view into the simple act of sending a little something by post.

Stamps as foreign relations propaganda pieces

But it’s not all love notes and water bills. As Matin Modarressi writes in the Journal of Cold War Studies, stamps played a pretty compelling role in Cold War era political propaganda.  

Policymakers sought the humble postage stamp as a public relations tool to build support for the United States NATO membership by issuing a commemorative stamp for the third anniversary of NATO. This stamp was unveiled at a White House ceremony by President Truman and was then sold for 6 months as the default stamp(replacing president heads!) - in total the NATO stamp had a print run of 2.9 BILLION, versus the standard run of 110 million stamps.  

The CIA is no stranger to stamp design, actively using them to semi-covertly show political support by leveraging American citizens’ mail as “tiny billboards”. The Champions of Liberty stamp series featured the Mayor of Berlin Ernst Reuter immediately following the Soviet 1958 ultimatum for Western military forces to withdraw from West Germany. 

This series of international peacemakers (a rare honor in an American-face-rich USPS stamp world) also featured former Czechoslovakian president Tomáš Masaryk. This bold decision caused the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic to take great offense; they subsequently returned all American mail using this stamp unopened to show their outrage to the US State Department.

Foreign stamp commentary on American politics

The less-than-subtle communication via stamp design is not limited to American printing presses. When Cuba released their ‘Genocide in Vietnam’ series featuring Americans’ use of chemical weapons, there was a huge outcry by both US citizens and top intelligence officers at this callout.

But the tables turned during an alleged CIA operation that released a supposed North Vietnamese stamp design depicting soldiers shooting down a US Army helicopter. According to some theories, letters were sent using this stamp en masse to members of the media in hopes that it would be reported on to help sway public opinion about the Vietnam War.  

And reported on it certainly was with a flashy Life Magazine front page feature only days before the US State Department published a white paper calling for greater American commitment in Vietnam. Timing much? Behold the power of stamps!

Dip into the connective language of postage stamps

So back to your pandemic postage. You’re probably not rebuking a rebel government, but you can still explore some social subtleties by deploying the Victorian-era Language of Stamps or simply by supporting the USPS by seeking something a little out of the ordinary and a little more personal to inhabit the corner of your envelope. Stay connected, stay revolutionary and post on. 

The Hidden Political Life of Postage Stamps

The postage stamp is a lot more than a sticky tag attached to our envelopes. They are a reflection in culture, and a political tool used to persuade the masses.

Celebrating tiny sheets of beauty, patriotism + philatelic propaganda 

Regular

This year marks the Black Sheep Agency’s 5th year as a B Corporation—a third party validated and lived-out-loud commitment to growing a business that places people over profits. And we’re not alone in this commitment as one of 3,800+ B Corps in 74 countries across 150 industries. 

B Corp certification is a global movement that pushes back on business and economic models that simply don’t keep our shared humanity at its heart. We live and breathe the B Corp mission everyday, but B Corp month offers an additional push to evaluate the work we do within the business community.

Why do B Corps matter in the time of a pandemic?

A year into COVID-19, we’re still reeling from pandemic shutdowns and the deep discord that stems from political and racial justice turmoil and (if you’re a Texan) a literal disconnect from the Texas power grid. 

We arrive to work, make purchasing decisions and interact with one another each day as people. Tired people that are shaken, stretched, uncomfortable and questioning everything. There has never been a more important time to focus on the humanity of our communities, our employees, our partners and our clients—and this is at the very heart of what it means to be and actively support a B Corp.

And your customers believe in this too, as Edelman’s 2020 Trust Barometer found that their survey of 34,000 people placed ethics as three time more important than competence in order to the earn their trust. It’s not enough to be great at what you do, your business must actively demonstrate that it is an organization that does what’s right. 

Leading your business strategy with this equitable and human-centric mindset means using your business as a force for good, not just a financial vehicle. B Corp is about placing the greatest value on the human bottom line. B Corp is Better Business.

Real ways that real businesses can push for real change

The B Corp community is collectively focused on 3 pillars in 2021 to push us towards real change at a global level. Whether you’re certified or not, these are tools with the potential for real impact:

Racial justice - centering people regularly underrepresented and discriminated against (explore these B Corp Anti-Racism Resources for Business)

Climate action - becoming part of the climate solution in the absence of political action (review this resource-packed white paper on how businesses are addressing climate change)

Stakeholder capitalism - making a change to the operating DNA of corporations and the economy to rethink our focus on shareholders and re-commit to our broader communities (find the playbook on adopting Benefit Governance here)

It’s not what you say, it’s what you DO

So back to the humans - the ones we side-by-side with, the ones that we work hard to support and the ones we want to blossom into one day. In 2021, our B Corp mission at Black Sheep is just as clear and just as centered on the human bottom line as ever.

Prioritize social impact-oriented work with nonprofits, civic organizations and for-profits with purpose

Build our agency as a career-shifting, incredible place to work for our employees as we develop our organization’s transparent leadership and financial systems

Partner with diverse minds and voices to 

Connect to marginalized communities through our client work and our efforts to provide accessible knowledge and support that helps others activate humans around things that matter

How can we build Better Business together? Learn more about our open roles (join the team, friend!), partner with our agency or take the first steps in your own organization’s B Corp accreditation. Questions, comments, thoughts? We’re here for you.

This year marks our 5th as a B Corporation, joining over 3,800 companies that push back on business and economic models that put profits over people.

Better Business is a B Corp

We deserve a world (and workplace) that gives a damn about something bigger than profits