Member-only story
How Mr Zip Signed, Sealed And Delivered
1950s. Our story begins with Howard Wilcox. Designer at Madison Avenue ad agency Cunningham and Walsh. And a postal carrier’s son.
Howard created a cartoon character for his client Chase Manhattan, New York. A caricature of a friendly postman. With wide eyes and thin limbs. Carrying an envelope. For their bank-by-mail campaign. With the slogan:
“In rain or hail,
Pay bills by mail.”
After a few runs, the campaign was over and filed away. And forgotten.
Early 1960s. The United States Post Office Department (POD) was overwhelmed. By an expanding suburban user base. And ever-growing mail volume.
They devised a new Zoning Improvement Plan (ZIP). Replacing the existing (city postal zone, state) address format. And conceived an automated process to streamline letter delivery.
By shortening State names to two letters. NY for New York. CA for California. And so on.
And by assigning a unique five-digit code. To identify every post office in the country. Which POD’s sorting machines would use to route mail directly. From the sender’s city all the way to the recipient’s. Skipping a long chain of intermediate processing centres.
