Children's stamps 2024 with resilient imagery!

The 2024 Children's Stamps mark 100 years of children's stamps, on which the theme of 'resilience' is highlighted in a figurative sense through texts, images, and spoken word. The spoken word connects the sender with the recipient via the QR code on the mega-stamp.

Children's Stamps 2024

Issue details: the designer is an unnamed employee of Hallmark from Capelle aan den IJssel, the print run comprises 1.350.000 stamp sheets with 5 different stamps, printed by Joh. Enschedé in Haarlem.

Analysis of children's stamps

The theme of the 2024 children's stamps shows resilience. An activity that you can use in difficult situations such as poverty, loneliness and/or problems in home situations. Five resilient elements illustrate [1] loving attention, [2] overcoming setbacks, [3] a secure base, [4] being able to be yourself, [5] being given opportunities with images / visualizations as text, image and spoken word. This allows children to stand more firmly on their own two feet and thereby leave the problematic burden behind them. Loving attention and overcoming setbacks [1] “You are super sweet” refers to 'loving attention' [2] the moving star refers to 'overcoming adversity.' Safe foundation and being able to be yourself [3] The image of both hearts refers to 'secure base.' [4] “You are super nice” refers to 'being able to be yourself.' Can get opportunities [5] with an encouraging word 'you can get opportunities'. The sender of a message engages in an interactive way with the recipient of the letter or card with which the postal item is franked by means of the word via the QR code. This ultra-modern messaging method corresponds to the clearly recognizable written abbreviation 'zop' (meaning 'see under stamp') on a card, which in the 50s referred to the clandestinely written text / message in tiny letters on the card section under a postage stamp. Due to the difference in postage amounts between card postage and postcard postage, a short letter could thus still be sent cheaply. Back then, people really did watch the pennies!

Textual & illustrative visualizations / images!

The circles in the background of the illustrations and texts on the green, yellow, and blue stamps refer to a trampoline, which in a figurative/metaphorical sense represents the resilience of the 2024 children's stamp campaign:

• These three superpower stamps underscore resilience in a personal way with short, encouraging texts such as “You are super sweet”, “You are super fun”, and “You are super . . .” combined with a sent and scanned video message.
• On both red superpower stamps, a radiant star shooting past (even containing the cheerfully optimistic SKN logo face) and two spatially depicted and dynamically arranged hearts demonstrate resilience in a visually striking, energetic, and tension-filled manner.
• An orange ribbon is placed on the bottom edge of the sheet (a reference to the wristband children wear this year when going door-to-door), in which the theme of superpower is linked to the 100th anniversary of the Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland (SKN) with a commemorative stamp sheet. This year marks the 97th children's stamp issue released by SKN in collaboration with PostNL (war years 1942, 1943 & 1944 are missing).

Designer

An unnamed Hallmark employee designed this children's stamp in a varied and attractive manner. The designer based the design on five themed cards featuring a stamp border (acting as a 'connector' between PostNL, SKN & Hallmark) for the 2024 children's stamp campaign, which postcard publisher Hallmark had already designed for the campaign on behalf of SKN. Elements from the themed cards reappear in the stamp design, in which, alongside contrast, playfulness, and minimalism, positivity and cheerfulness are essential. Confetti underscores the enthusiasm.

“All’s well that ends well!” or “All’s well that ends well?”

1. The design method of the new 2024 children's stamp is consistent with that of all children's stamps designed before 2014. All designers started from main characters they had conceived themselves. Consequently, they did not use illustrations from comics, youth magazines, or books by illustrators/designers known in our country, or from LEGO toys. See article 'End of 2025 children's stamp issues?' from August 17, 2023, with a list of sources from which borrowed main characters are derived. In other words: “All’s well that ends well!”
2. The observation “All’s well that ends well?” relates to the article ' in connection with the questionEnd of 2025 children's stamp issues?' of August 17, 2023.

This article from last year refers not only to the innovative SKN course correction regarding children's stamp issues from 2015–2023, but also to the discontinuation of children's stamps as an attractive item for PostNL due to increased revenue! In other words: “All's well that ends well?” The answer is: “Yes, for years on end, the postal company has started, but also ended, with authentically designed children's stamps!”   Has a booklet also been published as a jubilee edition in response to this call? Thank you for your response (batehill@delta.nl).