Five major insurance companies are contemplating a merger. As is usual, the PR people have decided that it is essential that a new logo be created to "brand" the new conglomerate.

The design was sub-contracted to numerous graphic designers, and, in due time, the PR department received back a variety of designs. There were the usual insurance company cliches, golden discs, castles, chainmail gauntlets, plus the inevitable undecipherable squiggles. One design, however, stood out. It was a shield, quartered, with a circle in the centre. In each quarter was a representation of a man and woman making love, on the centre circle, a baby.

They knew that they could never use the design, but called the designer in to explain his creation.

"It's very simple," he said, "The man at top left is making love to his wife, that's Legal & General. The man at top right is making love to his mistress, that's Mutual Trust. The man bottom left is making love to a prostitute, that's Commercial Union, and the man bottom right is making love to his secretary, that's Employer's Liability. Oh, and the baby in the middle? General Accident, of course!"