The Origins of "Keep Calm and Carry On"

“Keep Calm and Carry On” has developed into a huge brand over the last couple of years, but what are the origins of this iconic phrase? Where did it come from and how did it achieve such popularity? Well the guys and girls at inkthreadable have been on the hunt to find out.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the “Keep Calm Carry On” slogan has its roots in wartime propaganda, originally being a motivational poster produced by the British government during the Second World War. Posters with “Keep Calm and Carry On” were first printed in 1939, as Britain wanted to encourage the public not to panic during the air strikes the government envisaged.

Originally the government printed two and a half million of these posters as part of a huge campaign to ensure the British public kept their heads during air raids. Now just a handful remain, making them extremely valuable to collectors.

The “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters were discontinued after the war and remained largely forgotten about for the next 60 years. It wasn't until the year 2000 that the posters started to make a comeback. Customers loved the retro element of the slogan and, over the next decade, “Keep Calm and Carry On” grew to become a globally recognised brand printed on everything from T-Shirts to mouse mats.

Nowadays the trend is to customize the “Keep Calm and Carry On” logo to form your own slogan. Why not test your creativity and make your own Keep Calm T-Shirt using the “Design Your Own T-Shirt” feature on our website?

When you're done designing, make sure to tweet us a picture! @inkthreadable

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