David Bowie Stamps launched into space by Royal Mail

LIDA has partnered with Royal Mail to develop a competition delivered through social media to support the launch of a new collection of special stamps to honour the late David Bowie that went on sale this week. The ten-stamp set features six images from some of Bowie’s most admired and defining album covers: Hunky Dory, Heroes, Aladdin Sane, Let’s Dance, Earthling and ★. The arc of the respective vinyl album protrudes from the right-hand of each stamp.

The remaining four stamps show Bowie in action performing on live tours across four decades. In homage to Bowie’s immortal role in Nicolas Roeg’s 1976 film, “The Man Who Fell To Earth,” 52 First Day Covers, featuring a full set of album cover stamps, have been launched into space. Fans who visit www.royalmail.com/stampstoearth and correctly guess where ‘the stamps that fell to Earth’ landed, can win one of the limited edition First Day Covers. 52 was chosen as it represents the total span of Bowie’s professional recording years before his death, aged 69, in January 2016.

Competition winners will receive a First Day Cover featuring the album cover stamps that fell to earth, each of which is marked with a special edition red hand stamp of the iconic lightning bolt from the cover of Bowie’s 1973 album Aladdin Sane. The activity will be further amplified over Royal Mail’s social channels with seven short films, each giving a clue as to the whereabouts of the landing location of the stamps. Tom Thomas, CCO at LIDA said: “Celebrating an artist as unique and creative as David Bowie required an equally unique and creative campaign. We are delighted to have partnered with Royal Mail to develop ‘The Stamps that Fell to Earth’ competition – a fitting tribute to a cultural icon.”

The David Bowie collection is the first collection of special stamps dedicated to an individual music artist or cultural figure that the Royal Mail has issued. The stamps and a range of limited edition souvenirs are available to buy from the 7,000 Post Office branches across the UK.