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.
