Stay Alert: How the UK Government accidentally launched a meme

Explores how the UK Government’s messaging change from ‘Stay Home’ to ‘Stay Alert’ created the conditions for its own mocking and remixing.

A strange thing happened over the weekend of May 9/10 2020. A poster that had been perceived as a relatively clear and effective illustration of the UK government’s coronavirus intervention became something else. The tripartite message of “Stay Home – Protect the NHS – Save Lives” had entered the culture fringed with red chevron, mostly undisturbed.

On the Sunday, a new idea emerged: “Stay alert”. It was widely ridiculed, pilloried not only for its lack of clarity on what material changes to exercising or socialising this entailed, but for the obvious nature of the coronavirus threat: it’s difficult to be...

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