明治商 2013 III

1 All hell broke loose.

2 If people are thinking 'I'm about to lose the house,' it's good advice.

3 If you think the government is working on your behalf, you will listen.

4 It was one of the main ways of reaching people, through billboards and on public transport.

5 It's not urging people to fight for freedom like some propaganda posters did. .

In 1939, with war against Germany looming on the horizon, the British government designed three posters to steady the public's resolve and maintain morale. These featured the crown of King George VI set against a bold red background and three distinctive slogans ― "Freedom is in Peril," "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory," and "Keep Calm and Carry On." Two-and a half million copies of "Keep Calm" were printed, to be distributed in the event of a national catastrophe, but remained in storage throughout the war.

The message was all but forgotten until 2000, when a copy was discovered in a box of books bought at auction by Stuart Manley, a bookseller from the north of England. "I didn't know anything about it but I showed it to my wife. We both liked it so we decided to frame it and put it in the shop," explains Mr. Manley. "Lots of people saw it and wanted to buy it. We refused all offers but eventually we decided to get copies made for sale."

Sales remained modest until 2005, when it was featured as a Christmas gift idea in a national newspaper supplement. Mr. Manley says, "[ A ] Our website broke down, the phone never stopped ringing, and virtually every member of staff had to be diverted into packing posters."

The poster was just one of hundreds produced by the government during the war to influence public opinion. "The poster was a major medium in a way that it isn't now," says Professor Jim Aulich, an expert in propaganda art. "It wasn't competing with television. [ B ]"

Rescued from obscurity after more than 60 years, the government's appeal for calm has risen to cult status. Mr. Manley's store receives an average of 1,000 orders a month from around the world. Customers include the prime minister and a number of embassies. The design has been reproduced on T- shirts, coffee mugs and shopping bags.

To some, the world in 2009 seems as uncertain as it was in 1939, even if modern-day anxieties focus on the recession rather than bombs and the Blitz1. Perhaps this is why the message still seems so relevant. Of course, it might be difficult for the current government to come up with a poster with quite the same appeal during this time of economic stress. Context is everything, says social psychologist Dr. Lesley Prince. "If the government is in tune with you, you will listen. [ C ]" This was indisputably the case during World War II, but is less clear-cut even in the most troubled period of peacetime.

And a message of such powerful simplicity might not be so forthcoming these days. Today's government posters attempt to convince the public of an unappreciated danger and get them to modify their behavior. The "Keep Calm" poster is merely a plea to think another way and continue acting as you have always acted.

"It's very good, almost zen," says Dr. Prince. "It works as a personal mantra2 now. [ D ]" People are drawn to the calming Britishness of the message, says Mr. Manley. "It's interesting to look at the kind of places we often sell to, such as doctors' offices, hospitals, schools and government departments. It seems to strike a chord wherever people work at a hectic pace."

Prof. Aulich adds that the message has universal appeal. "It speaks to people's personal neuroses and fears. It's not ideological. [ E ]"

Following the end of World War II, most of the posters are believed to have been pulped, never having seen the light of day. Only two original copies are known to have survived. Thanks to a chance discovery in a dusty box of books, the soothing plea is finally having its intended effect, bringing comfort to a nation in turmoil.