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Let’s take a look back at the UK’s design of the Coronavirus messaging.
I’ve gone back through literally 1 dozen of images to show you how the UK Government designed their Covid marketing.
A thread.
I’ve gone back through literally 1 dozen of images to show you how the UK Government designed their Covid marketing.
A thread.
Initially we started with nothing, waaaay back in March. The podiums at this time were unaware they were about to become daily briefing podiums.
Standard government logos on them to begin with.
Note: even in this early stage Boris was flanked by “experts”.
Standard government logos on them to begin with.
Note: even in this early stage Boris was flanked by “experts”.
The design on the daily briefing podiums then advanced.
In the first couple of weeks I suspect they threw a design together as quickly as possible.
They started by using the style of the NHS brand.
Safe, well-known and understood.
In the first couple of weeks I suspect they threw a design together as quickly as possible.
They started by using the style of the NHS brand.
Safe, well-known and understood.
A week or two later the podiums changed to say a new slogan:
Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.
Dominic Cummings has spent his career making slogans and hammering them home. It was no surprise we were going to get one here.
Design followed the same as before.
Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.
Dominic Cummings has spent his career making slogans and hammering them home. It was no surprise we were going to get one here.
Design followed the same as before.
People weren’t getting the message. They started using design to influence people a little bit.
One of their first tests.
Note the uppercase: much more aggressive lettering.
Choice of colour red on SAVE LIVES is significant too. Danger. Should have been white text though.
One of their first tests.
Note the uppercase: much more aggressive lettering.
Choice of colour red on SAVE LIVES is significant too. Danger. Should have been white text though.
Side note: the design of this is fairly terrible. There’s lots that could have been improved here to make the message clearer and stronger (as we’ll see next).
I suspect this was thrown together quickly by somebody else as the designers were working on the updated branding.
I suspect this was thrown together quickly by somebody else as the designers were working on the updated branding.
Things were getting worse. More people dying. They needed to show this.
Now we see uses of yellow, red and black text to signify a warning message. Uppercase again to strengthen the message.
A chevron border was an interesting touch. It hammered home the warning angle.
Now we see uses of yellow, red and black text to signify a warning message. Uppercase again to strengthen the message.
A chevron border was an interesting touch. It hammered home the warning angle.
I’m not sure why they did this or when, but they increased the size of the chevrons around the border and decreased the size of the arrows.
I think this was to bolden the message—increase a feeling of danger and decrease the arrows which weren’t important.
I think this was to bolden the message—increase a feeling of danger and decrease the arrows which weren’t important.
Around this time we got a flood of advertising in the UK that was VERY dystopian and horror-movie esque. Almost ridiculous in how over the top it was.
There was also a more measured NHS information message at this time too.
Note again the catchy Cummings slogan they developed to remind people what to do.
A stark contrast to the 28 Days Later marketing they were slapping on buses and all across social media.
Note again the catchy Cummings slogan they developed to remind people what to do.
A stark contrast to the 28 Days Later marketing they were slapping on buses and all across social media.
Finally, we come to today. The now infamous easing of the lockdown. New slogan.
Stay alert. Control the virus. Save lives.
Instantly softer colours. Use of greens makes this message seem like a guide from a bottle of bleach (looking at you Trump) rather than a bomb warning.
Stay alert. Control the virus. Save lives.
Instantly softer colours. Use of greens makes this message seem like a guide from a bottle of bleach (looking at you Trump) rather than a bomb warning.
And yes, because I’m a designer, I need to say this.
You could fit a bus through the gaps in between some letters on this.
Particularly AY on STAY
HE on THE
AV on SAVE
Standard kerning fixes you’d normally do, if you didn’t have Boris and Dominic Cummings breathing on you.
You could fit a bus through the gaps in between some letters on this.
Particularly AY on STAY
HE on THE
AV on SAVE
Standard kerning fixes you’d normally do, if you didn’t have Boris and Dominic Cummings breathing on you.
Remember folks
STA Y ALERT
(whatever this means)
CONTROL
TH E VIRUS
(whatever this means)
SA VE LIVES
STA Y ALERT
(whatever this means)
CONTROL
TH E VIRUS
(whatever this means)
SA VE LIVES
