Four colours dominate mailboxes across the globe - red, blue, yellow and green. In the United States and Russia, they are blue. China’s are all green. Many European countries have yellow boxes, while red is the choice of countries in the British Commonwealth. There are a few exceptions – Indonesia has opted for orange and Singapore white. Countries either choose a national colour or one that is highly-visible. Recently, pink mailboxes have been spotted in Beijing. Residents are encouraging to drop “love letters” into these special receptacles.
The Royal Mail postboxes in the United Kingdom seem to be the most colourful of any place in the world. Although the vast majority of these letter drops are the ubiquitous scarlet red cylinders that you know from movies and television, other colours do exist. Scattered about urban areas you will find sky blue post boxes designated especially for Air Mail. Just after the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics, the Royal Mail painted the hometown post boxes of British gold medal winners, you guessed it – gold. To celebrate World Book Day, a select few become temporarily yellow each year. White has helped promote Men’s and Women’s International Cricket tournaments held in the UK. In 2020, black post boxes acknowledging the Black Lives Matter movement appeared in London, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast. These boxes paid tribute to four individuals who made significant contributions in their respective communities. The initiative, due in part to limited distribution, received mixed reviews.
The Royal Mail, which is no longer owned by the government, stands alone in utilizing colourful mailboxes to bring attention to different national causes and accomplishments. An effort that keeps them both relevant and constantly in the public eye.