The UN postal service announced Wednesday that it would issue a set of six commemorative stamps designed by a South American artist to mark the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The stamps will be released Friday to coincide with the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games and center around the theme of "Sport for Peace."
"In spite of differences in colors, languages and races, we share the charm, and joy of the Olympic Games, and together we seek the ideal of humankind for peace," the UN Postal Administration said a statement. The six stamps were designed by Brazilian pop-artist Romero Britto, whose colorful, bold designs have been featured in international advertising campaigns including Absolut Vodka, Pepsi and Microsoft. This is Britto's second set of stamp designs for the United Nations. In 1999, he designed six commemorative stamps on the theme of education in the 21st century.