“Nectar, the loyalty card scheme backed by brands including Sainsbury’s and BP, is to launch an ad campaign timed to coincide with George Osborne’s cut-laden emergency budget today playing on the famous “Keep calm and carry on” wartime poster calling for British resolve.

The print campaign, which will run in nine press titles including the Sun, the Daily Mirror, Metro, the Times and the Telegraph features the strapline “Keep calm and carry one” against a background of Nectar’s brand colour purple and the loyalty card at the top of the ad.

The original poster, which was produced by the Ministry of Information in 1939, ran with a bright red background and sovereign crown aimed to instil a “chin up” attitude if the war turned for the worst.

Nectar’s campaign, which breaks first in the London Evening Standard this afternoon, aims to position the loyalty card as helping belt-tightening consumers get good deals in the new climate of austerity.”

Read story in the Guardian… maybe the timing is to go with the Emergency Budget!

It would have made the perfect safe sex campaign, but no, Nectar have picked up on the infamous Keep Calm and Carry On slogan. Renamed Keep Calm and Carry One, the campaign stars Corrie actress Tina O’Brien (oh yeah) and reminds customers to be clever with their pennies. Who’s Jack