The On the Town Activities made me think about print media in a totally different way. The untrained eye usually gravitates to what is appealing. But how do we really determine what makes print media appealing? Is it the colors, the movement, the images, the spacing of imagines? Well, this assignment says yes to all of those items and more. For both assignments I chose to write about the Uncle Sam poster for both assignments. I chose this piece of print media because I work for the History Department at Old Dominion University. It just so happens that we were having a WWI commemoration event the night the first assignment came out. At the event the speaker quickly talked about the Uncle Sam poster, how it came about and what it meant to the country at the time we were about to enter the war. Upon review of the poster I found that it did steer clear of the Redundancy principle. However, I thought it followed the Coherence principle, as there were no unnecessary text or images on the poster. Everything on the poster had purpose. This is partly what made the poster so effective.   In the second review of the poster I found that it relied heavily on the Personalization principle. Having the Uncle Sam character represent the U.S. government was very important to the success of this poster. More of that is explained in my post, which I found very interesting to write. These activities taught me the principles to apply to my own creations to make them powerful pieces. It is always a trainers aim to influence the thinking and/or actions of others. Incorporation of these ideas will definitely make my training print media, and videos more effective!

For this assignment I thought it would be a good idea to continue the discussion of the Uncle Sam poster discussed in my first On The Town assignment. For that assignment, I argued that the author created the poster to invoke of a sense of patriotism and support for the American military. In turn, this sense of pride in the U.S. and its government would make young men want to join the military and fight for our country. Personification of the U.S. government into the character known as Uncle Sam was a smart choice for J.M. Flagg.   The character’s name implies that he is a part of our families. We all know that “blood is thicker than water,” so when your Uncle Sam says something, you listen and respond.   In that analysis I also discussed the author’s ability to steer clear of redundancy and create a simple flyer with big meaning. CARP principles like color contrast, character alignment and proximity, and wording all play a part in that.

Being that this poster uses a character and wording to speak to its audience, I would have to say that it follows the personalization principle. This poster was designed during the times of World War I. Because of its popularity it was also adopted for use during World War II, and remains one of the most well-known posters of our day. (“The Most Famous Poster”) Uncle Sam is the personification of the U.S. government. Like today, during times of war there are people who just don’t see eye to eye with the government’s reasoning for sending troops to battle. This tension can cause an entire country to split and be on opposite ends of an issue, when they should all be supporting a common cause. Using Uncle Sam definitely made people see the government in a different light. This older, gray haired, top hat wearing gentleman became someone we could trust. This trust in the character sparked trust in the government and support for our troops and our wartime efforts.

It was not only the character that we thought highly of, but the simple phrase “I Want YOU for the U.S. Army” also spoke to many Americans. Reading this on the poster also speaks to Flagg’s use of the personalization principle to gain audience attention. The statement is in first person narrative. This makes it seem as if Uncle Sam himself is speaking directly to you, the reader. This is important because of the level of respect this character has gained. The words of those you respect are often held in higher regard. We are more apt to respond to something said by those we look up to or trust. This explains the increased military enlistment and support for the government gained during use of the poster.

J.M. Flagg’s use of the personalization principle made this poster both a recruitment tool and a great piece of art. It will be talked about and Uncle Sam will be admired for years to come.

Reference

“The Most Famous Poster.” American Treasures of the Library of Congress. N.p., 27 July 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2015.

J.M. Flagg created the Uncle Sam poster during the World War I period. The purpose of this poster was to increase interest in and to recruit soldiers for our nation’s armed forces. In this short analysis I will discuss the purpose, textual elements and visual elements of the Uncle Sam poster to show how they attract the attention of the reader, thus garnering enlistment and support for the U.S. Army.

I believe that this poster was created to appeal to several different groups of people. First it targets strong brave young men that take pride in the country in which they live. These young men have the potential that Uncle Sam is looking to recruit into the military. Second, the poster targets those that have loved ones already serving in the armed forces. The poster in some way admonishes those people to support their loved ones and the military in which they serve. Lastly I believe it targets the general public and encourages their patriotism and support for those that keep our country safe.

Uncle Sam is essentially the personification of the United States government. In times of war the government may not be viewed in such great light. So to call the man in the poster Uncle Sam makes this person a part of all of our families, which makes the issues he represents that much more personal and brings people together for a common cause.

There is no unnecessary music, words, graphics or audio message, so this poster steers clear of redundancy. Instead it utilizes the coherency principle very well. Flagg also utilizes the ethos and pathos elements of rhetorical appeals. We tend to respect Uncle Sam. So much so that refer to our entire military by his name. This respect for the character in the photo suggests the ethos element. Pathos is seen by the emotion and the patriotic vibe suggested by the colors in the poster. Most all Americans hold some loyalty to the American Flag, which is red, white and blue. Why would we not have some loyalty or emotional response to this poster which predominately uses those same colors?

My analysis of the poster finds that it is quite simple in nature, but these simple elements have big meaning. The first thing you notice is Uncle Sam pointing directly at you. Most people give full attention to someone pointing at them even when they don’t know this person. Uncle Sam’s stern look conveys the seriousness of the message that he’s sending. It’s almost as if he’s sending a command. He’s dressed in the colors of the U.S.A. flag. This brings home the idea that Uncle Sam represents a personification of the U.S. government. The background of the poster is stark white. There is nothing distracting the viewer from both Uncle Sam’s stern stare and the words it seems he’s saying directly to you, “I WANT YOU FOR U.S. ARMY.” The quote on the poster is written in the direct tone of voice. By using the pronoun “I” in the quote it seems as if Uncle Sam is speaking directly to the reader. These words are in all capital letters. This also adds to the sense that the message is very serious in nature and directly pointed at you, just like that forefinger. Notice that the word “YOU” is the only word in red. Since so many people will view this flyer, I think J.M. Flagg knew it was important to make it feel very personal. By having Uncle Sam pointing his finger and the word “YOU” in red, he succeeds in making the message feel directed to each viewer.

Flagg’s use of text, graphics and color successfully demand an attraction and emotional response to this poster!