The assignment was to create a booklet of U.S. postage stamps with a fun, summer theme.

The art director came up with the idea of popsicles, and about the same time came across the work of the artist, who had already created some popsicle art. The challenge was to develop a series of popsicles that were “imaginary” but still communicated “popsicles.” After the artist provided the design team with a wide variety of colorful, whimsical watercolor illustrations, the team worked to find the best collection of pairings. The stamps were then printed with a coating that when scratched, evokes a sweet, summer scent.

This was the first time the U.S. Postal Service has issued scratch-and-sniff stamps and they were very popular: More than 85% of the stamps produced have been sold just nine months after their issuance.