Keep Calm and Carry On

Posted by Stuart Browne

Watching ‘Dancing on Ice’ this weekend (and rooting for Rugby League legend Ellery Hanley) I couldn’t help thinking what it would be like to fall during a routine in front of 8 Million views.

On the few occasions where budding skating stars have taken a tumble, they have just picked themselves up and carried on with the routine.

I have huge admiration for all of the celebrities for even attempting some of the moves – let alone being able to cope with the adversity of a fall and carry on.

So ice skating was fresh in my mind when I stumbled on this....

keep calm and carry on

Apparently, during World War II, the Ministry of Information produced these posters to ensure that the general public stayed calm during the adversity of war.

At the end of August 1939 three designs went into production with an overall print budget of 20,600 pounds for five million posters. The first poster, of which over a million were printed, carried a slogan suggested by a civil servant named Waterfield. Using the crowns of George VI as the only graphic device, the stark red and white poster read 'Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring Us Victory'. A similar poster, of which around 600,000 were issued, carried the slogan 'Freedom is in Peril'. But the third design, of which over 2.5 million posters were printed, simply read 'Keep Calm and Carry On'.

If there were ever a competition for the most potent icon for the British ‘stiff upper lip’ – then I reckon this would win hands down.

If you’re ever facing adversity…… Keep Calm and Carry On.

There’s a serious impact point here though.

Do you notice how the poster doesn’t use negative words (and then negate them)…

It doesn’t say “Don’t Panic” – because then you’d have to think about panicking to decide not to panic.

It uses positive language to inform you of the state you should be in. It’s what we call ‘towards’ language (as opposed to it’s evil twin – ‘away from’ language).

When you use ‘towards’ language, you think about a positive outcome.

When you use ‘away from’ language, you have to think about the negative connotation first.

If you’re taken by this 1939 poster image, you can buy it printed on varIous “Badges, Posters, Stickers and T-Shirts“ * here…..

keep calm and carry on

barter books

 

* you’d have to be a pretty serious Dire Straits fan to get this quote.

for more information read : 
Improve your impact in just 1 day