Postal Service Issues New Love Stamp

Kicking Off the Love Season With a Kiss

HERSHEY, Pa. ― Love and the sweet smell of chocolate filled the air today during an event at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. The U.S. Postal Service® dedicated the 2007 With Love and Kisses stamp, which is available nationwide today.

“Americans traditionally send something sweet in their envelopes on Valentine’s Day,” said John E. Potter, postmaster general and chief executive officer, U.S. Postal Service, at the stamp dedication ceremony. “With the With Love and Kisses stamp, they can now put something sweet on their envelope.”

Joining Potter in the dedication was Richard H. Lenny, chairman, president and chief executive officer, The Hershey Company®; Honorable Tim Holden, member of Congress,17th district of Pennsylvania; and David E. Failor, executive director, Stamp Services, U.S. Postal Service.

“The Hershey®'s Kisses® Brand is an enduring symbol of love, affection and sharing, recognized world over for its distinct shape, classic silver foil and unmistakable plume,” said Lenny. “The With Love and Kisses stamp reinforces the passion and emotional connection consumers have with the iconic Hershey's Kisses Brand.”

Evoking images of sweet and ardent affection, the With Love and Kisses stamp features a Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate and a red heart that form mirror images of one another. Written on the heart is “Love,” while “Kisses” appears on the plume that extends from the top of the chocolate treat.

The unmistakable shape of Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates has not changed since The Hershey Company introduced this milk chocolate candy to the nation in 1907. Wrapped by hand until the process was automated in 1921, Hershey’s Kisses Brand Chocolates have been available year-round for 100 years with only one exception. Production ceased from 1942 to 1949, when silver foil was rationed as a result of the war effort. Hershey’s Kisses Brand Chocolates wrapped in red and silver foil were introduced in 1986 in honor of Valentine’s Day.

The Postal Service™ began issuing its popular Love stamps in 1973, and the With Love and Kisses stamp marks the 23rd in the series. Over the years these stamps have been used on wedding correspondence, Valentine’s Day sentiments and Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards.

Award-winning illustrator José Ortega of New York City and Toronto, who designed the With Love and Kisses stamp, previously designed the Salsa stamp, one of four stamps that appeared as part of the 2005 Let’s Dance: Bailemos! stamp issue.

Since 1775, the United States Postal Service and its predecessor, the Post Office Department, have connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail.  An independent federal agency that visits more than 144 million homes and businesses every day, the Postal Service is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation.  It receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services.  With annual revenues of $70 billion, it is the world’s leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world.  The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world’s mail volume—some 212 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year—and serves ten million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.

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