Steers McGillan to deliver mail range

The British Postal Museum & Archive, an organisation responsible for managing Royal Mail heritage, is planning to open a multi-million pound museum by 2008 and has appointed Steers McGillan to develop merchandise ranges which showcase visuals from its collections.

Interbrand has designed a new identity to bolster the project (pictured), rebranding the organisation from its previous title of Postal Heritage Trust.

Launching in March, the merchandise ranges will pre-empt the museum’s opening. Steers McGillan was appointed following a 14-way pitch including Pearlfisher, Pentagram and Minale Tattersfield.

Product details are still being developed, but the aim is to create several ranges to be sold across selected high street retailers, Royal Mail channels, museums and galleries. Items being considered include giftware, artwork canvases, writing materials, travel items, packaging materials and exclusive ‘designer’ products.

Packaging will be based on a ‘postal journey’ theme, using graphic details from the 700 maps featured in the collection, says Chloe Steers, creative director at Steers McGillan.

BPMA is an independent charitable trust, established last year to look after the Royal Mail Archive, on behalf of Royal Mail Group, and run The British Postal Museum Store. It holds items recording 350 years of postal history. The collections offer a ‘rich source of graphic material’, including postal markings and maps, Post Office vehicles, letterboxes, machinery and uniforms.

All the objects will be relocated to a new London museum, providing an additional corporate centre for Royal Mail, says Tom Lewis-Reynier, business development manager at BPMA.