Electoral poster AA, choose representatives carefully, 1957 US poster: A Lao-language election poster with three photographs

Electoral poster AA, choose representatives carefully (Lao poster distributed in Vientiane)

A Lao-language election poster with three photographs: a man in a sashed court-style uniform, a Buddha statue beside a standing uniformed figure and a flag, and monks receiving alms from kneeling women and children. The text urges voters to think carefully before choosing representatives and warns that a wrong choice would destroy freedom, religion and the king. The tell is fear-appeal, a loss of freedom, religion and monarchy if voters choose wrongly, with transfer from the religious and royal imagery.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Fear appeal Transfer

Date: May 28, 1957
Period: Cold War
Made by: U.S. Information Agency (predecessor: State Department International Information and Educational Exchange Program), Propaganda Posters Distributed in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East series
Region: North America
Country: United States
Medium: Poster
Issuer type: State
Regime: Eisenhower Administration
Leader: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Audience: Foreign public
Purpose: Mobilize or secure compliance
Themes: Elections and party politics, Religion
Event: Cold War
Source: Unidentified Source blurred: contractors, cutouts, buried disclosure
Source: U.S. National Archives (NARA), RG 306, Propaganda Posters Distributed in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, retrieved October 4, 2026
Rights: Public domain (U.S. government work; NARA RG 306)
U.S. Information Agency / Department of State, May 28, 1957. National Archives, Record Group 306 (NAID 6949005, 306-PPB-133).

Text on the object

Original (Lao) · read from the image, not independently checked

ການເລືອກເອົາຜູ້ແທນຣາສດອນເປັນສິ່ງສຳຄັນ ແລະເປັນ
ຈຸກອັນໃຫຍ່ຍິ່ງຂອງພວກເຮົາປະຊາຊົນ. ພວກເຮົາຄວນ ຄິດ
ໃຫ້ຄັກໆກ່ອນນະ

ຖ້າເຮົາເລືອກຜູ້ແທນຜິດ: ສິດເສຣີຂອງປະຊາຊົນລາວ ຈະຖືກທຳລາຍ
ສາສນາ ແລະພະມະຫາກະສັດຂອງລາວຈະສູນຫາຍ ຈົ່ງລະວັງແລະຄິດໃຫ້ຄັກໆ

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

Choosing the people's representatives is important and is a great [matter/duty] for us, the people. We should think carefully first.

If we choose the wrong representatives: the freedom of the Lao people will be destroyed; religion and the Lao king will be lost. Be careful and think carefully.

Two blocks of Lao script, above and below the photographs; the word rendered 'matter/duty' is uncertain.