What Will You Do When This "Do" is Over? (War Savings Certificates)
A cartoon man in a threadbare coat holds out a pencil from a tray, mouth open as if calling his wares, under the question 'What will you do when this "do" is over?'. The tell is the pencil-seller as the image of post-war poverty, with buying War Savings Certificates as the only way out named in red.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Canadian War Savings Certificates campaign (issuer not printed); artist 'Ricky' (RCAF)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- Canada
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Mackenzie King Government
- Leader
- William Lyon Mackenzie King
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Economy and finance
- Event
- World War II
- Source
- Unidentified Source blurred: contractors, cutouts, buried disclosure
- 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 (Canadian wartime poster, issuer imprint not fully shown)
Artist 'Ricky' (RCAF); War Savings Certificates campaign, Canada. National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-740.
Text on the object
WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN THIS "DO" IS OVER? You'll never have to Sell pencils If you Buy-- WAR SAVINGS CERTIFICATES [signature:] Ricky RCAF.
