Why I love NYC

It’s fair to say that most people have fanaticized about living in NYC. As Frank Sinatra famously bellowed in 1979, NYC is the, “city that doesn’t sleep.” It is the American epicentre of all things modern and relevant. It is the city that is always one step ahead of the game, going non-stop 24/7 in its quest to dominate the world stage.

Here is a short list of facts that attract me, wholeheartedly, to this magnificent and historic American metropolis:

1. The allure that “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere”.
New York City carries a reputation of being cut-throat, cruel, capitalist, over-crowded, and ridiculously expensive. But this is the kind of environment I find appealing. This dazzling city is served bloody rare and you better be able to stomach it. Disregarding the negative things that have been said about NYC, one has to remember that there are also so many possibilities in this bustling metropolis where you can actually touch opportunity in the air as it floats and sparkles beneath the gaze of the Statue of Liberty. The city opens doors, even if you’re stuck in a low or unpaid internship. It’s an amazing feat to be able to slap NYC experience on your resume. There is so much real competition between NYC residents that you can witness it being swished around in a cesspool of unmatched ambition, determination, and self-control.  The city will force you to constantly be, in the true sense of the phrase, “the best that you can be.” I need to be in an environment where I am constantly trying and encouraged to better myself, and NYC is the perfect place for that kind of “tough love.”

2. Culture.
There are over 1500 art galleries operating in New York City every single day. Among the art galleries, there are over 80 museums, 50 of which are located in Manhattan. NYC is also one of the major film capitals of the world. Imagine being able to run over to the Museum of Modern Art on your lunch break and walk by the set of an upcoming blockbuster? Instead of watching Jay-Z’s performance of “Picasso Baby” on YouTube, see yourself being there, in that NYC art gallery witnessing that monumental combination of hip-hop and performance art. I dream of being in the same room with Marina Abramovic, not simply reading online reviews on her mesmerising performance art in the New Yorker. I secretly hope to run into Bill Cunningham, a living icon, on Fifth Avenue and watch him snap pictures of Iris Apfel.  I want to grab a breakfast sandwich and devour it in-front of Tiffany’s at 7am. I want to have the ability to frolic throughout the city, stumbling in on new exhibitions, shows, concerts, and theatre productions when I desire to do so. I want to have a date in Central Park and watch a screening of West Side Story while twinkling lights from the many skyscrapers shine in the night’s sky. I want to “be a part of it, New York, New York.”

3. Cuisine.
Did you know that there are over 18,696 restaurants currently open in NYC? Did you know that there are over 4000 street food vendors? There are also 222 new restaurants, on average, opening every year. That would mean that currently, it would take me 62 years to try each restaurant and food vendor, once a day! There is no other city in the world, in my opinion that has such a wide variety of meal choices as NYC. Whatever you’re craving, there’s going to be a restaurant that will cater to your stomach’s grunting. To top it off, your food of choice will more than likely be available at any given time, a short distance away or even delivered to your doorstep. Having the option of only take-out pizza or Chinese at 4am is not a fact of life in NYC. Say goodbye to your local mall’s food court; you can indulge in cuisine from all over the world without having to leave the 5 Burroughs.

4. The people.

I dream of being surrounded by 8.337 million New Yorkers in one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. I want to hear one of the 800 languages that are spoken on a daily basis in NYC. I want to be a part of the crowd in Times Square every single New Years Eve and count down the seconds until the ball drops, screaming with the crowd. I want to know that even though I enjoy being alone, the company of other people is potentially just around the corner in yet another interesting and dynamic NYC hotspot. I want to truly understand what it means to be a neurotic-New Yorker. I want to see and understand the difference between a person from Staten Island and those that live in the Upper East Side. I want to be able to grab a Cosmopolitan and gaze as 

hundreds of people walk by on the street, while indulging in some non-judgemental people-watching.  I want to thrive off of the creative energy from the residents of Williamsburg and jog alongside the many fitness enthusiasts in Central Park on a warm summer morning.

5. Innovation and Inspiration.
I want to be immersed in an environment that reaches in the pit of my soul and yanks the innovation and creativity right out of the far reaches of my brain. I want to indulge my mind by focusing on all of the interesting and different things that take place throughout the city, as everything seems to move and dance amid the statuesque skyscrapers. I want to be inspired by simply having the luxury to walk by the Empire State Building and Grand Central Station whenever I choose to, just because I need an inspirational kick to combat writers block. I want to be present for the beginning of a social movement and one of the first people to witness a trend. I want to understand Ayn Rand’s fascination with the New York City Skyline, as she famously wrote, “I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York’s skyline. Particularly when one can’t see the details. Just the shapes. The shapes and the thought that made them.” I want to let my creative energy unleash and truly “think outside the box”. In New York City, there is no box…it’s stomped on, kicked, and squished the moment you sign a very expensive rent agreement.
That’s exactly what I need – no limits.

New York City, I love you. Hopefully someday soon :)

Copywriter

Sebenarnya kalau boleh jujur passionku lebih ke dunia jurnalisme, kenapa? karena saya suka menulis. walaupun masih sangat minim pengalaman tetapi aku sadar banget apa passionku. setelah mengeluarkan novel pertamaku di Nulisbuku.com, aku semakin mencintai dunia menulis, rasanya itu seperti menuangkan pikiran, khayalan, ilusi kedalam serangkaian kalimat. tetapi sebelum itu kita kenal dulu yuk apa itu copywriter

ini ada FAQ tentang copywriter yang aku ambil dari Enda Nasution's blog http://enda.goblogmedia.com/pages/copywriter-faq-apa-itu-copywriter.html

Frequently Asked Questions tentang Copywriter oleh Enda Nasution
FAQ dibawah ini hadir karena rupanya masih sedikit informasi yang ada tentang profesi Copywriter dan apa kerjanya. Dan supaya tidak usah berulang-ulang mencoba menerangkan, lahirlah FAQ ini yang mudah-mudahan bisa menjawab sedikit pertanyaan2x dan keingintahuan ttg Copywriter. Enjoy.
Q: Copywriter tuh yang harus bikin kopi atau tukang fotocopy ya?
A: Hehe.. funny but NOT, try again. Itu mungkin Coffee Maker bukan Copywriter.
Q: Copyrighter tuh yang bekerja ngebuat Copyright ya? Hak Cipta?
A: Parahh, kedengerannya mungkin sama tapi nulisnya beda, dan perasaan ga ada tuh yang namanya Copyrighter.
Q: Copywriter itu apa sih kak?
A: Copywriter adalah seseorang yang menulis Copy.
Q: Apakah Copy itu?
A: Berbeda dari arti yang biasa kita tahu, Copy itu ga selalu berarti menduplikasi sesuatu. Copy dalam bahasa inggris juga berarti juga hal-hal yg ditulis oleh jurnalis, novelis dan para penulis lainnya. Copy juga berati kata-kata yang kita temukan dalam iklan. Secara umum Copy berarti tulisan-tulisan kali yee. Macemnya bisa banyak bisa ada di iklan cetak, dialog di iklan TV, di brosur, leaflet, website, buku, spanduk. Pokoknya banyak. Tapi Copy rasanya lebih deket ke dunia promosi daripada tulisan di koran atau di buku kayaknya.
Q: Copywriter bekerja dimana?
A: Copywriter bisa kerja dimana aja di bidang kerja yang butuh copy. Graphic House misalnya yang nerima bikin Company Profile, atau Brochure atau apa gitu yang butuh copy pasti butuh Copywriter.
Web Design company juga butuh buat ngisi content dari websitenya.
Advertising Agency terutama adalah tempat paling common dimana seorang Copywriter bermukim sih sebenernya. Dalam sebuah Advertising Agency seorang Copywriter adalah bagian dari Divisi Kreatif agency itu dimana biasanya terbagi dari tim-tim lagi, yang mana tim tersebut biasanya terdiri dari seorang Copywriter dan seorang Art Director.
Q: Apa yang dikerjakan Copywriter?
A: Pada intinya tentu menulis Copy yang dibutuhkan materi yang bakal diproduksi. Tapi agak lain untuk Copywriter yang bekerja di Advertising Agency. Copywriter yang bekerja di Advertising Agency bukan saja sekedar harus bisa menulis Copy, tapi juga perlu bisa melakukan hal-hal yang lain.
Pertama sebagai bagian dari tim kreatif, dia bersama partnernya sang Art Director harus sama-sama bisa MENTERJEMAHKAN brief dari bagian Account / Client Service yang isinya biasanya informasi tentang produk atau jasa yang hendak diiklankan, strategi dan jalan yang hendak ditempuh dan pesan yang hendak disampaikan pada publik. Tentu aja brief yg lengkap mencantumkan segala INFORMASI ttg produk/jasa tersebut, seperti PUBLIK SEPERTI APA yang hendak dicapai, KARAKTER seperti apa yang ingin terlihat dari produk/jasa itu, apa yang dilakukan oleh KOMPETITOR dalam bidang yang sama dan apa yang telah dilakukan juga oleh si produk/jasa itu selama ini dll lagi.
Jadi bersama partnernya, sang Art Director, Copywriter perlu duduk bareng, melakukan brainstorming mengenai apa yang bisa mereka lakukan untuk produk/jasa tadi. Menentukan secara strategis pesan seperti apa yang efektif untuk meraih target publik yang diinginkan, dampak apa yang diinginkan terjadi, menemukan IDE BESAR apa yang hendak dikemukakan dalam iklan tersebut, gimana gayanya, tone and manner-nya sampai akhirnya biasanya terbuatlah beberapa alternatif yang bisa ditunjukkan pada klien.
Klien kemudian memilih dari alternatif tersebut untuk diproduksi lalu sang Copywriter dan Art Director memastikan dengan segala cara agar alternatif yang sudah dipilih itu bisa sampai ke targetnya, apakah itu media cetak, televis, radio hingga media2x below the line seperti billboard, spanduk, poster, dll.
Tentu aja dalam seluruh proses itu ga cuma berdua Copywriter dan Art Director, tapi juga biasanya di supervise oleh tim leadernya yang mungkin seorang Creative Group Head, Associate Creative Director atau Creative Director. Dan jangan lupain juga temen-temen dari Divisi Account Service, biasanya ada Account Executive, Account Manager dan Account Director. Intinya hasil akhir iklan yang muncul adalah hasil kerja tim account itu biasanya.
Q: Apa yang menjadi tanggung jawab seorang Copywriter?
A: Bersama partnernya, Art Director, tentu aja nemuin ide iklannya, mau ngomong apa, pesannya ttg apa. Untuk Iklan Cetak biasanya sama2x diskusi nentuin gambarnya seperti apa dan tulisannya apa. Tulisan di iklan cetak ini yang umum ada tulisan besarnya atau Headline dan tulisan lainnya yang biasanya disebut Body Copy. Copywriter lah yang tanggung jawab nulis ini. Untuk iklan TV biasanya diskusi nentuin ceritanya gimana, lalu Copywriter bisa nulis beberapa Storyline dari hasil diskusi itu yang kemudian dijadikan Storyboard untuk dipresentasiin ke klien. Dialog dalam iklan TV ini tanggung jawab si Copywriter juga. Trus untuk hal-hal lain seperti tagline atau semboyan dari produk/jasa itu juga Copywriter yang harusnya lebih banyak berperan walau tidak menutup kemungkinan siapa saja bisa menyumbang ide. Kalau agency-nya dilibatkan dari awal, seringkali Copywriter juga dituntut memberikan nama buat produk/jasanya yang pas dengan target yang dituju dan karakter yang diinginkan. Untuk Iklan Radio udah jelas skripnya Copywriter juga yang buat dan biasanya sekalian supervise juga produksinya yang berarti juga memilih pengisi suara (voice talent) yang cocok dengan skripnya.
Untuk iklan TV bersama Art Director dan seluruh team biasanya terlibat pada setiap proses, dari pemilihan rumah produksi, sutradara, model/talent iklannya, wardrobe, sampe shootingnya biasanya ikut supervise juga, dan proses pasca produksinya juga. Editing, offline dan online. Untuk Copywriter entah kenapa seringkali ditanggungjawabi juga untuk masalah musik dari iklan TV itu kalo pake. Atau untuk buat jingle juga masih dalam lingkup tanggungjawabnya. Untuk beberapa kasus bahkan buat syair lagunya juga sekalian.
Q: Kalo tanggung jawab Art Director apa?
A: Lho ini kan FAQ ttg Copywriter, kok ada pertanyaan tentang Art Director sih? :) hehehek, ya sebagian kan udah gue ceritain ya diatas, tapi intinya Art Director tanggung jawab ama "art" nya sama estetikanya. Kebanyakan ya visualnya, kalo iklan cetak Art Director yang me-lay-out nya, ngerancang logo kadang-kadang, untuk iklan tv mereka yang supervise editing, grading warna, penambahan efek dan macem-macem lagi. Sedang pada proses presentasi ke klien Art Director juga membuat Storyboard, minimal corat-coret dan ngasih brief ke ilustrator/visualizer. Udah ah, ini kan FAQ ttg Copywriter :).
Q: Siapa aja yang bisa jadi Copywriter?
A: Siapa aja dengan jiwa sedikit ngaco :), punya wawasan luas, kreatif buat making up ide-ide baru dan bisa nulis kayaknya sih bisa. Apalagi kalo suka baca, suka musik dan suka film karena hal-hal tersebut suka nyambung satu sama lain. Kalo kamu suka merhatiin iklan tentu aja ngebantu banget. Dan, gue sih curiganya, walo gue ga pasti :) kamu juga harus punya selera yang bagus :). Dan yang udah pasti lagi kamu harus bisa kerja sama dengan anggota tim kamu dan bisa berkomunikasi lancar, gimanapun juga kalo kamu jadi seorang Copywriter kamu kan berarti berada di industri komunikasi.
Kalo ada temen kamu yang kayaknya suka sama kalimat-kalimat kamu udah ada tanda2x tuh berarti! :) Berarti minimal kamu bisa menkomposisikan rangkaian kata yang menggerakkan orang yang bacanya. Oya, akan sangat ngebantu banget lagi kalo kamu suka kata-kata tentunya.
Q: Apa yang dibutuhkan buat jadi Copywriter?
A: Kayaknya sih seorang Copywriter butuh a little bit of everything. Kamu perlu ngerti dasar-dasar pemasaran, strategic thinking juga, kamu mungkin punya jiwa seniman juga sedikit tapi kamu perlu bisa berpikir secara terstruktur juga buat melalui proses pencarian ide, nentuin konsep. Kamu juga perlu percaya diri banyak2x hehehe.. buat ngomongin ide kamu tanpa takut disebut garing misalnya, buat ngomong jelek kalo emang jelek dan bagus kalo emang bagus, buat ngomong suka kalo emang suka dan ngomong ya lumayaannn lah kalo emang ga suka. :) Kamu juga butuh kemampuan bahasa asing juga. Intinya yang udah pasti kamu perlu kreatif, kamu perlu bisa nulis, kamu ga keberatan kerja jadi ujung tombak kapitalisme ;) dan kamu juga berani bikin sesuatu yang baru. Ini semua kayaknya kali yeeeee... :D
Q: Gimana cara jadi Copywriter?
A: Buat saat ini blom ada sekolah khususnya yang lumayan ternama. Kecuali di luar negri kali ye dimana advertising udah jadi industri gede sendiri. Kalo kamu sarjana komunikasi kamu punya modal tuh, kalo kamu lulusan sastra juga. Tapi terus terang tiap orang ga peduli latar belakang pendidikannya, kalo emang suka, bisa, mampu dan good at it udah pasti bisa coba, yang perlu dilakukan tentu tinggal ngeyakinin orang yg bakal ngehire kamu aja jadi Copywriter. Caranya gimana? Ngelamar ke Advertising Agency yang butuh Copywriter, dan yakinin bahwa emang kamu punya semua kualitas itu. Itu yang gue kerjain dulu pas ngelamar.. hehe.. jujurnya sih nembak, kebeneran yg dicari emang ga perlu pake pengalaman tapi perlu bisa belajar cepet. Wohohohooo tentu aja cepet gue sih kalo belajar hal yang baru.
Cari iklan lowongan kerja buat Copywriter di Kompas, atau di majalah satu2xnya tentang dunia periklanan Cakram, atau di tabloid Marketing suka ada juga atau juga ikutan milisnya orang2x iklan ttg iklan di Milis Kritik-Iklan.
Q: Bagaimana masa depan profesi Copywriter?
A: Bagus sih kayaknya :) Ini karena menurut gue ga ada sekolah formalnya jadi Copywriter termasuk mahluk langka yang banyak dicari. Ke depan, kalo ekonominya makin bagus tentu makin banyak barang yang mau dijual ke segini banyak orang di negri ini, makin banyak butuh Copywriter dan saat ini ga ada banyak. Beda dengan Art Director yang dasarnya Desain Visual Komunikasi yang udah ada sekolah ternamanya, jadi Copywriter masih ga ada sekolah khususnya dan mungkin ga perlu? Ga tau juga.
Jenjang karirnya biasanya dari seorang Copywriter dia bisa jadi Senior Copywriter, lalu mungkin bisa jadi punya jabatan manajerial, team leader kayak Creative Group Head atau Associate Creative Director yang membawahi beberapa team yang terdiri dari masing-masing Copywriter dan Art Director. Dan tentu aja bisa juga jadi Creative Director di agency itu atau mungkin bahkan bisa melarikan diri dari bidang kreatif dan jadi kepala agency itu. Bisa juga. Tentu aja jadi jalur karir lain, yaitu pindah ke sisi klien, sebagai orang yg punya pengalaman agency dan ngerti marketing serta industrinya tentu dibutuhin juga ama klien2xnya. Intinya, seorang Copywriter masa depannya bagus juga sih kayaknya :)
Q: Enak ga sih jadi Copywriter?
A: Hakhakhak.. lumayanlahhh. Kata gue sih enak. Dimana lagi dan kapan lagi kamu dibayar buat duduk-duduk ngekhayal-khayal. mencetuskan ide-ide yang ga mungkin di kehidupan nyata, dan setelah waktu yang ga berapa lama (kadang2x lama juga lo, lama banget) ide kamu itu bisa diliat orang banyak, dan kamu bisa bilang, eh itu gue lo yg bikin.. hehehekk..
Dan kalo kamu very good at it, kamu bisa juga menang awards buat iklan2x yang kamu buat. Tapi intinya cocok2xan juga sih. Kalo kamu suka suasana yang bebas, terbuka, cuek, lingkungan kreatiflah pokoknya dan kamu ga suka kerjaan rutin yang terus2xan sama, kalo kamu suka belajar hal yang baru terus, kalo kamu gampang bosen, the chance is, kamu bakal cocok kerja di bidang kreatif, dan kalo kamu suka nulis, tambah cocok deh kamu jadi seorang Copywriter.
Q: Siapa Copywriter Indonesia pertama yang tercatat sejarah?
A: Copywriter pertama Indonesia yang tercatat adalah Tirtoadisoeryo alias Mingke, tokoh di Tetraloginya Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Periode hidupnya dimana dia nulis "adpertensi" di koran-koran adalah di buku yang ketiga, "Jejak Langkah".
Q: Copywriter bahasa Indonesianya apa ya?
A: Media dan banyak orang nerjemahinnya jadi penulis naskah. Terus terang terjemahan ini meleset karena nyempitin artinya, walo mungkin bener sih secara literal. Penulis Copy harusnya kali ya, tapi Copy bahasa Indonesianya apa? hehe.. ga tau deh. Kalo tanya gue mending keep Copywriter aja jangan diterjemahin.
Q: Film tentang Copywriter atau Advertising Agency ada ga?
A: Ada. Yang paling baru dan lumayanlah walau ga mencerminkan agency banget tuh judulnya What Women Want keluaran tahun 2000 yang maen Mel Gibson, sama tonton juga tahun 2001 Sweet November yang dibintangin sama Keanu Reeves.
Q: Copywriter yang ngetop di dunia sapa ya?
A: Salah satunya David Ogilvy, dulunya Copywriter trus punya agency sendiri yaitu, Ogilvy & Mather, yang sekarang jadi perusahaan komunikasi multinasional, tempat gue kerja skrg ini :). Yang masih aktif sekarang dan salah satu yang ngetop juga adalah Neil French dia sekarang Creative Director Worldwide buat Ogilvy & Mather.

ah, masih punya mimpi buat jadi copywriter sebuah brand ternama, lalu bisa kerjain projectnya di NY. hey i can dream! :)

Making a new friends

Introducing my new friends
Gara-gara ditempatkan di satu lokasi kkn jadi kita saling kenal dan sering jalan bareng :)

My birthday celebration

Finally... turning 22...
Sekitar jam 11 siang gue ke tempat kkn nah disana teman-teman nyiapin kue ultah, chips warna warni buat tulisan HBD kezia pakai coklat m'n'm didesain sama gege teman gue
Malamnya acara ibadah dirumah juga kumpul dgn keluara dan friends

22nd birthday ideas

Twenty-one is a major milestone for a birthday. It signals the beginning of official adulthood, the age of majority and the right to imbibe alcoholic beverages. So while you and your sweetie may have partied hearty on that momentous birthday, turning 22 can seem to be somewhat of a letdown. But it doesn’t have to be and won't cost a fortune to turn a 22nd birthday into a day to remember.

Turn Back the Clock

Recreate the world 22 years ago. Play the music of popular bands from that era. Serve food that was trendy from the celebrity chefs of the day. Rent, or download, TV shows from that time period. If there was a major fashion trend -- such as Goth, ask guests to dress in that style. If your favorite team won the Super Bowl, World Series or NBA Championship, use that as your theme. Invitations could be a photo of a watch set to the time of the birthday boy's birth and date.

Playtime

Sometimes it's fun to slide away from the responsibilities of adulthood and return to the carefree days of being a kid. After a year of being officially an adult, throw a kid's party. Drag out photos of the birthday girl as a kid and pin them on a bulletin board with index cards for guest comments. Ask each guest to send you a photo from childhood. Write the guest's name on the back. Create a contest where everyone has to guess which photo belongs to which guest. Scour dollar stores for cheap toys for party gift bags. Hold a bubble blowing contest of who can blow the biggest bubble or the most bubbles within a certain time limit, say 10 seconds. Serve, what else, hot dogs, fish sticks and mac and cheese with jello shooters for dessert.

Double the Fun

Twenty-two is made from two twos. Create the party around the theme of doubles. Serve double-stacked hamburgers, sandwiches or double stuffed tacos. Fill a soft flour tortilla with beans, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese. Place a crunchy corn tortilla instead the flour tortilla. Fill the corn tortilla with chicken, beef, pork or fish. Serve two birthday cakes. Play games in teams of two. Outside games include the old-fashioned three-legged race, doubles at badminton or goofy golf in teams. Ask guests to bring double presents that cost no more than $10. For example, if the birthday boy loves beer, gifts could be two beer mugs, two bottles of imported beer or two cozies to keep the beer cold. If golf is his game, the gifts could be two bags of tees, two golf towels or two scorecards -- one filled in with a stellar score and the other blank.

Over-the-Hill

Some say that the college years are the best years of your life. Once you graduate at 22, the good times are over. So recognize that fact with a humorous over-the-hill party. This theme takes a little work but doesn't have to cost a bundle. Decorate in somber tones of black and gray hiding metallic silver. Use old bed sheets you've dyed to keep costs down. If you can't afford silver fabric use aluminum foil taped to the tables. When guests arrive they'll see the gray tablecloths and streamers. The highlight of the party is when you strip away the gray and black to reveal the glittery silver lining. Gifts include hair color to wash the gray away, miracle wrinkle removers, fake windup dentures that chatter or anything related to being old.

Felling 22

lol. I made this on http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/guide-to-keep-calm/

I will turning 22 in two days, so i decided to make this poster for my own self. I'm still single :)

What is 'Keep Calm and Carry On'?

What is 'Keep Calm and Carry On'?

Right. Pay attention at the back, and no slouching.

Keep Calm and Carry On was the third in a series of World War 2 posters drawn up by the UK Ministry of Information in order to boost the morale of the British people by passing on a message from King George VI. The posters were a stark white text on a red background, with the only image on the poster being the royal crown of George VI.
The first two posters, "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring Us Victory" and "Freedom is in Peril" were widely printed and distributed. However, the third poster, which carried the simple message "Keep Calm and Carry On" although printed, was never distributed, as it was intended only if invasion was imminent.
At the end of the war, the posters were collected up and pulped. It is believed that only two original posters out of a print run of over a million survive to this day.
The story would have ended there were it not for Stuart and Mary Manley, who run a bookshop called Barter Books in Northumberland. Whilst sorting through a box of old books, they found one of the few surviving original copies of the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' poster. They liked it so much that they had the poster framed and placed near the till in their shop.
They soon found that customers were very keen on the poster - even to the point of asking if they could buy it! So, Stuart and Mary started selling and printing facsimilie copies of the poster. The rest, as they say, is history...
In the years since 2000 the poster has become world famous, having been mentioned in news articles, on TV and having been seen in many disparate places from country pubs to Parliament.

Frequently asked questions

So was this poster real?

Yes! Although it was never published, it was a real poster that was produced by the UK Government during the Second World War.

Who produced it?

It was produced by the Ministry of Information - a Government Department set up at the beginning of the war with the primary aim of producing propaganda material. They produced many famous campaigns including the classic 'Careless talk costs lives' campaign.

Is the poster out of copyright?

The poster is out of copyright and therefore can be freely reproduced and mashed up. Spare a thought, however, for Barter Books who rediscovered this classic poster. They are an independent bookshop in the UK who sell reproductions of the original poster.

What font does the poster use?

Anyone under the age of 20 or so might not believe this, but there was a time when computers didn't exist. The Keep Calm poster was hand-designed by a (sadly) anonymous civil servant and as such doesn't use a standard font. However a very clever chap called Keith Bates has painstakingly recreated the original font as closely as possible by taking examples from the original Keep Calm poster and the two other posters in the same series. You can buy his font from his website.