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Kiwi Stamp Circuit

Box 18-337     Glen Innes    Auckland    New Zealand 1743
 

Newsletter #37

July 2010

With this newsletter, we release the first of our 2010 Kiwi CALs. It features ‘Mr Kiwi’ on his way to the Soccer World Cup in South Africa. As with our previous CALs, the artwork is by Alistair Burns - requiring more than a little patience and perseverance – thankyou Al !

The CALs were printed by NZPost in sheets of 50 (5 x 10), with a limited print run of 1500. The year of issue, 2010, shows vertically in small letters at the bottom left of the CAL.

The Long and Winding Road to the CALs

Intending to release the CAL on the opening day of the Cup, we submitted our designs to NZPost in December 2009, thinking that this would give plenty of time. However several changes in design were needed to satisfy the ‘PC’ requirements of NZPost and our expectations of a clear image in the colours intended.

Our first design was deemed “unacceptable” because it showed the South African flag, so it was redrawn to just show ‘relevant colours’

The wording was questioned. “Have you got permission to use the words ‘Soccer World Cup 2010’ ?” (printed vertically at the bottom left). Aware of time restraints and that a paper war with FIFA might last well beyond the days of the Cup, we capitulated and the CAL was redrawn to show only the ‘2010’.

Next NZPost decided that our ‘Mr Kiwi’ which we have been using for over 10 years, was too like ‘Goldie’ who "belongs" to the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Committee – fortunately the committee was very obliging and gave us permission to continue to use our logo.

NZPost finally agreed to print our design at the end of May, although they now refused to honour the January agreement to waive the setup fee.

When the first printing of CALs arrived, the blue was printed blackish-blue (not even navy) and hardly distinguishable from the black - so they were all sent back.

Finally we submitted a design with an ‘insipid pale shade’ of blue which when printed, came out somewhere near the blue colour of the image we first sent them.

The CAL and First Day covers were released on 30th June 2010, as New Zealanders look back with pride, on the achievements of our ‘All Whites’.

Cup Fever sends Internet Usage to Record Levels

New records for internet usage (over 12 million visitors per minute) were set on the opening day of the Soccer World Cup. Whilst all areas of the world reported ‘heavy usage’, the bulk of the demand came from America and Europe. It’s likely that being a workday for many viewers, people turned to their office computers to follow the action, instead of their TVs.

The CAL and First Day covers were released on 30th June 2010, as New Zealanders look back with pride, on the achievements of our ‘All Whites’.

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