Royal Mail said it was evoking the spirit of previous art deco designs after commissioning Midlands-based artist Charles Avalon to illustrate this year’s version.
It said the vintage look was in tribute to posters used in the 1930s.
Mr Avalon said: “It was a great honour to be invited to work on a project designed to pay tribute to some of the iconic postal images of old.
“For many years, the postal service led the world with its innovative approach to creating eye-catching and practical posters in an art deco style. All these posters were linked by a very practical call to action, and made use of both striking and beautiful imagery to do so.
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“With this design, we’ve reawakened the traditional Post Early For Christmas call to action in a fresh and modern way while drawing on the medium’s art deco roots.
“I envisioned a rural scene complete with the Royal Mail van and Royal Mail postbox at its heart, ready to deliver a community’s mail to friends and families across the UK.”
Latest recommended posting dates for Christmas 2016 are:
Tuesday December 20 for second class mail
Wednesday December 21 for first class mail
Thursday December 22 for special delivery
Friday December 23 for special delivery Saturday guaranteed