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During war time, it becomes necessary to produce more for overseas. Yet, to make this possible, those at home had to consume responsibly so that the most products can be used for war-related activity. The sacrifices made by the American home front were not only enforced by advertisements of the era, but promoted. Even fashion trends changed dramatically, as fabric became a scarcity due to wartime needs. Men wore "victory suits," and women drew lines on their legs to make up for the nylon hosiery currently unavailable (Sivulka, 1998).
Women not only sacrificed the ruffles on their dresses, but soon would be pushed to take over the jobs left behind the men off at war. Advertisements like the famous "Rosie the Riveter" contained phrases and colors to push intense patriotism and get women working. Phrases like "We Can Do It" or "Do The Job He Left Behind" not only
empowered women to take jobs, but struck a sense of duty. The main goal of such advertisements was to strike human emotion (Sivulka, 1998). Rosie the Riveter was extremely powerful because she depicted both strength and beauty. She has strong muscles and a stern glare, but her full lips and eyelashes still give her feminine appeal. She is the perfect role model for the devoted patriotic woman: ready to jump into protecting her country while still not appearing overly masculine.
Another goal for advertisers was to say essentially, "if you must buy, buy from our good, American, patriotic company" (Ghilani, 2012). Advertisements doubled as propaganda, promoting all the work "our boys" were doing overseas, almost as if to romanticize it. Many advertisements either show patriotic looking men or are purely guilt trips. Guilty looking women holding babies speaking of their husband at war, or sharing frightening phrases like "When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Hitler" to push people to carpool and save resources (Ghilani, 2012). One advertisement in particular combines both the feeling of human guilt and the desire for patriotism.
The Kid in the Upper 4 was an advertisement by the New Haven Railroad (displayed below) that displayed a young American boy laying in bed, preparing himself for the sacrifices he is about to make. These sacrifices included "the taste of hamburgers and pop, the feel of driving a roadster over a six-lane highway, a dog named Shucks,or Spot, or Barnacle Bill." The advertisement received several accolades, and was reprinted everywhere, the wording sometimes even set to music. The end of the advertisement is pleading that if a rider couldn't get a seat at the diner or would have to stand, it was so that this boy and the other heroes of the war would be able to stand. The "Kid" represented all the young Americans going off to war, and gave an image to conserve for back at the home front. He was your next door neighbor, son, and friend. So of course, you'd do anything you could for him, according to this advertisement.
Advertisement was vital for rallying the Americans back home in support of the war, and used every human emotion to promote patriotism.
Women not only sacrificed the ruffles on their dresses, but soon would be pushed to take over the jobs left behind the men off at war. Advertisements like the famous "Rosie the Riveter" contained phrases and colors to push intense patriotism and get women working. Phrases like "We Can Do It" or "Do The Job He Left Behind" not only
empowered women to take jobs, but struck a sense of duty. The main goal of such advertisements was to strike human emotion (Sivulka, 1998). Rosie the Riveter was extremely powerful because she depicted both strength and beauty. She has strong muscles and a stern glare, but her full lips and eyelashes still give her feminine appeal. She is the perfect role model for the devoted patriotic woman: ready to jump into protecting her country while still not appearing overly masculine.
Another goal for advertisers was to say essentially, "if you must buy, buy from our good, American, patriotic company" (Ghilani, 2012). Advertisements doubled as propaganda, promoting all the work "our boys" were doing overseas, almost as if to romanticize it. Many advertisements either show patriotic looking men or are purely guilt trips. Guilty looking women holding babies speaking of their husband at war, or sharing frightening phrases like "When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Hitler" to push people to carpool and save resources (Ghilani, 2012). One advertisement in particular combines both the feeling of human guilt and the desire for patriotism.
The Kid in the Upper 4 was an advertisement by the New Haven Railroad (displayed below) that displayed a young American boy laying in bed, preparing himself for the sacrifices he is about to make. These sacrifices included "the taste of hamburgers and pop, the feel of driving a roadster over a six-lane highway, a dog named Shucks,or Spot, or Barnacle Bill." The advertisement received several accolades, and was reprinted everywhere, the wording sometimes even set to music. The end of the advertisement is pleading that if a rider couldn't get a seat at the diner or would have to stand, it was so that this boy and the other heroes of the war would be able to stand. The "Kid" represented all the young Americans going off to war, and gave an image to conserve for back at the home front. He was your next door neighbor, son, and friend. So of course, you'd do anything you could for him, according to this advertisement.
Advertisement was vital for rallying the Americans back home in support of the war, and used every human emotion to promote patriotism.
Works Cited:
Ghilani, J. L. "DeBeers' "Fighting Diamonds": Recruiting American Consumers in World War II Advertising." Journal of Communication Inquiry 36.3 (2012): 222-45. Web.
Metcalf, Nelson C., Jr. The Kid in the Upper 4. 1942. Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes. Belmont: Wadsworth, 1998. 234. Print.
Miller, Howard J. Rosie the Riveter. 1942. National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. American National Biography Online. Feb. 2000. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
Sivulka, Juliann. Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes: A Cultural History of American Advertising. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1998. Print.
Ghilani, J. L. "DeBeers' "Fighting Diamonds": Recruiting American Consumers in World War II Advertising." Journal of Communication Inquiry 36.3 (2012): 222-45. Web.
Metcalf, Nelson C., Jr. The Kid in the Upper 4. 1942. Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes. Belmont: Wadsworth, 1998. 234. Print.
Miller, Howard J. Rosie the Riveter. 1942. National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. American National Biography Online. Feb. 2000. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
Sivulka, Juliann. Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes: A Cultural History of American Advertising. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1998. Print.