Could this be you? Don't travel unless your trip helps win the war
Four pinned notes show cartoon travellers, each with luggage and a stated reason: shopping, visiting relatives, a business contract, grandma missing the children. The headline asks the viewer to see themselves in them, and the base line says to travel only if the trip helps win the war. The appeal works through self-recognition and social shame rather than a threat.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1945
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Office of Defense Transportation
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Economy and finance
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- 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 Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
U.S. Office of Defense Transportation. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-612 (NAID 514090).
Text on the object
Could this be you? "IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ANYTHING IN THE LOCAL SHOPS." "WE HAVEN'T SEEN BOB'S CHILDREN SINCE WAY LAST FALL." "BUT THIS CONTRACT IS VITAL." "BUT GRANDMA MISSES US SO." DON'T TRAVEL - UNLESS YOUR TRIP HELPS WIN THE WAR [imprint: U. S. OFFICE OF DEFENSE TRANSPORTATION] [imprint: U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1945-O-640444]
