Task 3

This essay will discuss the similarities and differences between ‘The Uncle Sam Range’ and a propaganda poster for the 1WW.

The Uncle Sam Range was created in 1876 by Schumacher & Ettlinger to advertise the product. ‘Daddy, what did you do?’ by Savile Lumley was created in 1915 during First World War to persuade young men to join the army and fight in war.

The quote in the fatter poster has been written in italic and shows a girl asking her father about his role in the war. The font is bold and white coloured with a dark background to make it stand out so as to attract passers by. The underlined capitalised word ‘you’ is a direct challenge. By using the words ‘Great War’ this seems like an assurance that Great Britain will win the war and the men will return home safely. They would later proudly tell their story about their experiences during the war period to their children. The girl is reading a book possibly about the war and the boy is playing with soldier toys which shows their interest.

The ‘Uncle Sam Range’ is in capital letters with various sizes and font. The typography is hidden by the colorful background which means it is only readable at a close distance. The target audiences for both these posters are men. The ‘Uncle Sam’ appeals to the upper or middle class male to persuade him to adopt a better lifestyle as shown in the poster.

These two posters have a different style of illustration. The Great War poster used an English pattern on the curtain and sofa to appeal patriotism and to show that British Values are worth defending. A little boy playing with toy soldiers also represents Great Britain’s involvement in the war. Lumley shows the father’s expression as puzzled and obviously concerned not join the war, he should feel ashamed of himself. The fact that the man is in comfortable surroundings, wearing a smart suit and with a happy family reinforces the idea that, once the war has been won, the future will be good.

In the Uncle Sam’s range, the colours of the US flag have been applied to the poster to represent their pride in being American citizens. The clock on the wall shows that Uncle Sam has been operation for 100 years since time of American Independence and it is show that hey are celebrating 100 years by coking using the Uncle Sam product.

In the world war poster there is no ‘mother’ showing that women did not have a voice at that time. Similarly, in the Uncle Sam’s poster, a woman serving food behind the black male slave near the oven would be normal at that time showing a women’s subservient role in society. The fact that the family has a slave indicates their wealth, as does the décor of the room.