World War Two Propaganda Posters – From Art form to Psychological Science
Throughout the world wars, campaign posters played a big part in not only encouraging people to enlist, but also in rousing support for the allies and vehemence towards the enemy.
Robert Fleming, information and community outreach curator and previous fine and decorative art curator at the National Army Museum, explains that the key to effectiveness was inciting a sense of pride and patriotism in its audience.
They showed that everyone was making an effort, and highlighted the basic message of: You can beat Hitler and make a difference as an individual, he says.
Design played a key part in effectiveness of world war two propaganda, engaging civilians with a deliberate simplicity. Strong, colourful posters with basic design and two-colour patterns, influenced by art deco, complemented the equally basic messages they were trying to portray, Fleming says.
They expanded the notion of belonging and patriotism with colourful, powerful symbology, such as the Union Jack flag posters had gone from being an art form to a psychological science, he says.
The graphics industry in the 1930s and 1940s used the theme of duty and moved away from inducing guilt, which was a trend in world war one.
Guilt posters e.g. Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War? had been unpopular and unsuccessful. It became much more about contributing, Fleming says. They showed girls in munitions factories and working on farms while still looking pretty, and so not sacrificing expectations of women, of course and fresh-faced soldiers.
The posters played on empire patriotism, as well as national patriotism, he adds, through showing those from other cultures serving among British soldiers.
It was this idea of: If somebody from Canada is coming to fight, then why arent you?, Fleming says.
Other posters were designed to demonise the enemy, through countering and also mirroring German propaganda, he adds. The allies posters would portray war crimes and negative things the Germans were considered to be doing, Fleming says. They were trying to dehumanise them and oppose the propaganda that was coming out of occupied Europe.
However, others were also designed to instil paranoia, with simple phrases asking for silence, such as Careless talk costs lives, accompanied by simple images. There was a real fear of German spies getting information particularly in the lead up to D-Day, he says.
All images reproduced courtesy of the council of the National Army Museum.
http://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/4-10-may-2015/world-war-two-propaganda-posters-from-art-form-to-psychological-science/
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Classic propaganda posters, promoting the war effort, from World War II
Beautiful art work, strong psychological operations messaging
R W
I agree the posters are certainly attention grabbing, without all the modern techniques we have today.
Thanks for the feedback
Where did you find the poster?
Could you share a link?
Dehumanizing the enemy is one of the weapons of war, because to make them less than human, or to colour them satanic, makes it emotionally easier for eliminating them. I remember reading comic books while I was a young kid during WW2 that showed the Nazis as skull-headed monsters, similar to the martians in the movie Mars Attacks.
I bought a WWI war bond poster years ago, and framed it... It is similar to this, but I can't find the exact one...
I think the next one has a real sense of humor to it! But this was up in my office for a long time... Both of these are from WWI.
Can't open your image, Kavika.
Sorry Buzz, it shows Tojo and Hitler eyeing the US with a caption of ''our homes are in danger now!!'' Tojo is holding a bloodly knife and Hitler has a luger in his hand.
No guessing what this poster is about.
Okay, thanks Kavika. I don't know why I couldn't open it. All the other images on this article are visible.
Thanks strange. I'll try posting another one, let me know if you can see it.
John
Thanks
Buzz
Dehumanizing the enemy is one of the weapons of war
Since the earliest histories of war that we are aware of
Thanks for pointing that out
Kavika
Wow that is a dramatic and direct message to the aircraft industry