U.S. #2102
1984 20c McGruff the Crime Dog, Crime Prevention
- Issued for Crime Prevention Month
- Pictures McGruff the Crime Dog, the mascot of America’s crime prevention program
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Value: 20¢, rate for first-class mail
First Day of Issue: September 26, 1984
First Da... more
U.S. #2102
1984 20c McGruff the Crime Dog, Crime Prevention
- Issued for Crime Prevention Month
- Pictures McGruff the Crime Dog, the mascot of America’s crime prevention program
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Value: 20¢, rate for first-class mail
First Day of Issue: September 26, 1984
First Day City: Washington, DC
Quantity Issued: 120,000,000
Printed by: American Banknote Company
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 50 in Sheets of 200
Perforations: 11
Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate Crime Prevention Month.
About the stamp design: Randall McDougal illustrated the stamp picturing McGruff the Crime Dog. The image was based on an original 1979 drawing of the character by its creator, John Keil. Stamp includes McGruff’s official slogan, “Take a Bite Out of Crime.”
First Day City: This stamp’s first day ceremony was held at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, in Washington, DC. At the ceremony, postal official Kenneth Fletcher spoke of the success of the 1971 “Giving Blood Saves Lives” stamp, which led to a notable influx of blood donations for six months. He said of this stamp, “I would be delighted if this social-awareness stamp against crime caused a similar drop in the crime rate.”
History the stamp represents: In 1977, the Department of Justice wanted to create a campaign to help reduce crime. The Ad Council and Dancer Fitzgerald Sample advertising agency took on the project. After conducting focus groups, they suggested a campaign that would “emphasize that individual actions can reduce crime” and “offer easily accessible opportunities for people to participate.”
The ad agency wanted to come up with a mascot similar to Smokey Bear, and came up with the slogan, “Take a Bite Out of Crime.” They explored a variety of dog characters before settling on the trench coat-wearing bloodhound. The character was revealed in 1979 and was named through a nationwide contest. The name McGruff was suggested by New Orleans Police Officer John Isbell.
The resulting ad campaign was deemed a success, and McGruff has remained a recognizable figure for decades.
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