the power of propaganda

Since I’m working on my analysis skills, I decided to go for the option to look deeper into the meaning behind propaganda and the strategies used to persuade people. I looked up specifically World War II propaganda and it was really interesting to see the various issues that the American people directly dealt with, and how they were targeted to help the war. One common issue I saw was about car-sharing. This poster uses contrasting images of the men at war cramped together in a wagon and U.S. citizens driving together to emphasize the issue and how the people at home can be involved in the war effort like the steadfast soldiers that they admire. The two planes not only show the setting and feeling of the war, but the number two is generally associated with balance, co-operation, adaptability, and faith. Whether intentional or not, the number of planes discreetly plants the reasons for the war effort in the heads of the American people. In the top image, the background is a scarlet red color. Of course, this makes people think of blood and violence right away. Red is the color of passion and deep emotion and its effect is a sense of urgency to the issue. It draws attention to the heroes of America and the hardships that they endure. The smiling men mirror the smiling citizens down below. This reinforces the contentment found in working together and doing your part for your country. The solidarity found in the words “they” and “we” increases the motive to help the war effort and therefore helps persuade the people to do their part. The little tagline at the bottom, “carry more to win the war”, is rhyming and is likely to stick in someone’s head. It is a simple but meaningful phrase. It unites the people, as everyone wishes to end the war. This piece of propaganda relays to the people not only what they can do to help their great country, but their brave men fighting overseas.