Keep Calm and Carry On

Something that has had somewhat of a revival since it was originally produced in 1939 is the Keep Calm and Carry On poster. It was initially created by the British Ministry of Information during the outbreak of the war. The posters were never officially released at this time, although some originals were leaked and so a few did appear in the public domain.

"The original poster was issued as a means of allaying public fear. The poster was held in reserve for use only in times of extreme crisis. Although thousands were produced, only a handful ever saw the light of day." -Keep Calm Gallery

Even today 'Keep Calm and Carry On' is a phrase which perfectly encapsulates the traditional British 'stiff upper lip!Now that we find ourselves in economic uncertainty, this phrase seems to have become fashionable again, with sales of the original style poster soaring. A lot of the merchandise can be found at the Keep Calm and Carry On website.


Above is a variation that I discovered through Fffound A good one for junior designers at this time I think. I might pin that one to my bedroom wall to keep me going! As with every fad or trend, it has sparked an offshoot of parodies, which can be viewed on this Keep Calm Flickr Pool.

The one below is great. I'm not entirely sure which shop it is for, but I love how the colours pop with the seasons collection and the tongue in cheek statement. Similarly the carrier bag below aims to do the same thing, by making light of spending money in an economic downturn.



Some of my favourites are "Keep Calm and Put the Kettle On", "Keep Calm and Carrion", and "If in Doubt, Dangerously Overreact". Could look through these for a while!

For more on this subject, check out the Keep Calm Gallery