The Band That Agreed to Promote the U.S. Postal Service
They didn't realize their name would lead to an unlikely collaboration.
In 2001, Death Cab for Cutie singer Ben Gibbard and musician Jimmy Tamborello teamed up, with significant vocal contributions from singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis, to form a new musical group. Tamborello would send Gibbard instrumental tracks via FedEx or UPS, allowing him to add vocals and other elements before returning them. This long-distance collaboration inspired them to call their new band “The Postal Service,” but they had no idea that their name would result in a legal dispute with a giant government entity.
The band released an album in 2003 titled Give Up through the label Sub Pop, and it became a cult hit after selling 400,000 copies within 12 months. It became the label’s second-highest-selling record, behind Nirvana’s debut album, Bleach. However, the record’s rising popularity also brought unforeseen consequences when, in 2004, the United States Postal Service (USPS) sent a cease-and-desist letter to the band’s record label. The letter stated that the band’s name infringed on the name of the United States Postal Service, which had a trademark on its name and services.
Luckily, the parties were able to negotiate an agreement instead of engaging in a costly legal battle, but the terms of the deal were far from ordinary. One part of the agreement was that the USPS would grant Sub Pop a free license in exchange for promoting the U.S. Postal Service. The band also agreed to perform at the Postmaster General’s annual National Executive Conference in Washington, D.C., which they did in November 2004.
Another part of the agreement stated that any future music produced by the group and additional copies of their album would include a notice about the trademark. The USPS was also permitted to sell Give Up on their website and in some post offices, which they did for a brief time.
The USPS had its reasons for the agreement, as it sought ways to reach a younger demographic that wasn’t using the mail or was unfamiliar with it.
The Postal Service only released one album, so further collaboration with the USPS didn’t occur. However, in 2007, one of the band’s songs, “Such Great Heights,” was used in a commercial. Ironically, the track was in a commercial for one of the United States Postal Service’s prime competitors, UPS.
Sources: Sub Pop, Far Out Magazine, KEXP, Newsweek
This is so awesome! As someone that studies the print and mailing, and also spent a decade in the music industry (non-recorded assets aka merchandise) this a data point that I did not know. Have always been a fan, Brand New Colony and Sleeping In a few of favorite tracks. Thanks for sharing.