Maggie Wins by a Squeaker

Maggie Wins by a Squeaker

Nearly 1 Million Votes Cast Rivals 1992 Elvis Vote

WASHINGTON, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Maggie Simpson, a character of few words other than the sucking of her pacifier now has something to shout about. The youngest member of the Fox hit series, THE SIMPSONS, beat her dad, Homer, by ("D'oh!"), by more than 8,000 ballots as the favorite Simpsons stamp in an online vote that took place at www.usps.com between April 7 and May 14. Of the more than 916,000 votes cast, Bart came in third, followed by Marge and Lisa.

THE SIMPSONS stamps were issued nationwide May 7 and dedicated at the Twentieth Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles where THE SIMPSONS Creator and Executive Producer, Matt Groening, and Executive Producer, James L. Brooks, were joined by other members of the iconic television series. Winner of 24 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and a multitude of other accolades, this historic series starring the five family members is currently the longest-running primetime comedy in television history and is celebrating its 20th Anniversary throughout 2009.

Votes Percentage
Maggie 272,235 29.7
Homer 264,038 28.8
Bart 172,867 18.9
Marge 106,214 11.6
Lisa 101,573 11.1
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Total
916,927

Will the Simpsons dethrone the King?

The 916,927 votes fall short of the 1.1 million votes received in 1992 when America voted for a "younger vs. older" Elvis stamp image, with the younger winning by a three-to-one margin. The Elvis vote took place prior to the internet. Customers voted by mailing in post cards obtained at Post Offices. The younger Elvis stamp was issued in 1993.

"Elvis remains as the most popular stamp among collectors, but the response to The Simpsons indicates that the King might have some competition," said U.S. Postal Service Executive Director, Stamp Services, David Failor. "We've printed one billion Simpsons stamps, nearly double those printed for Elvis, so only time will tell how they rank in history."

"When we take a look back at all the various extensions of The Simpsons over the past 20 years, there is a long-standing tradition of campaigns that standout as gamechangers, and this was certainly one of the best!" said Elie Dekel Executive Vice President for Fox Licensing and Merchandising.

To promote The Simpsons stamps, the Postal Service issued an "April Fools Day" news release announcing the news of the stamps. On April 7, the stamp images were previewed on the Postal Service's website and customers could pre-order products. Individuals visiting the site were encouraged to "vote early and often -- it's the American way." The site also provided details of a sweepstakes to win one of 25 Simpsons posters autographed by Matt Groening. To order the stamps and related products, visit this link: http://tinyurl.com/pz5tdu.

ABOUT THE SIMPSONS

The Simpsons, which airs Sundays (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), is the longest running primetime sitcom in television history. The Simpsons exploded into a cultural phenomenon in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. Cartoonist Matt Groening created the infamous Simpson family: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson -- all now identifiable by their silhouettes alone.

The series aired their historic 400th episode in May 2007, followed by the successful The Simpsons Movie in July 2007. In 2000 the show received a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in Spring 2008 The Simpsons Ride opened at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and Hollywood, CA. "Best. 20 Years. Ever.," a year-long global celebration honoring all things THE SIMPSONS, recently launched and will culminate on January 14, 2010, the 20th anniversary of the series' debut.

The Simpsons is a Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Century Fox Television. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean are the Executive Producers. Film Roman is the animation house.

ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX LICENSING & MERCHANDISING

A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail. To learn about the history of the Postal Service visit the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum: www.postalmuseum.si.edu.

Source: U.S. Postal Service

CONTACT: Mark Saunders of the U.S. Postal Service, +1-202-268-6524,
+1-202-320-0782, Mark.r.saunders@usps.gov

Web Site: http://www.usps.com/

NOTE TO EDITOR: Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news. High-resolution images of the stamps are available for media use only by emailing mark.r.saunders@usps.gov.

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