Voluntary Savings - It's Up to You Now

A cartoon workman in a cap thumbs at himself under the words 'Voluntary' and a struck-through 'Compulsory Savings - it's up to YOU now'; his speech bubble says 'Me? I'm buying more bonds with that extra cash!'. The tell for plain-folks is the everyman cartoon speaking for the audience, and for bandwagon that his purchase is offered as the thing others are already doing; the struck-out 'compulsory' also implies compulsion as the alternative.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Plain folksBandwagon

Date

1939

Period

Second World War

Made by

Not stated on the item (no imprint visible)

Region

North America

Country

Canada

Medium

Poster

Issuer type

State

Regime

Mackenzie King Government

Leader

William Lyon Mackenzie King

Audience

Domestic public

Purpose

Fundraise

Themes

Economy and finance, Home front

Event

World War II

Source

Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are

Source

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026

Rights

Held by NARA, Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision
Not stated on the item, National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-716.

VOLUNTARY
COMPULSORY [struck through]
SAVINGS
IT'S UP TO YOU NOW
ME? I'M BUYING MORE BONDS WITH THAT EXTRA CASH!
Buy More WAR SAVINGS CERTIFICATES AND VICTORY BONDS